Billy Joel in Concert

Just got back from the Billy Joel concert this evening in Cleveland at Quicken Arena.

It was a solid show and aside from Goodnight Saigon and Matter of Trust, I heard pretty much everything I wanted to.

As we were sitting there, though, I kind of realized that Billy is the TGIF of the music world.  TGIF is a good bet for dinner.  The food is tasty and filling.  It's entertaining in its delivery, but it doesn't challenge or surprise you much.   And while they may put a whole ice cream scoop of sour cream on your nachos....they're still just nachos!

Just about the same can be said for this show and other bootlegs I've heard of his shows over the years.  Billy does what we paid him for.  The music is nothing all that magical, there are no extended jams or better musicianship than you would find in any run of the mill good band.  But I enoyed my time there and left with a good feeling.

My only regret, as the one who ordered the tickets, was failing to take into account the fact that a woman with us is, uh, altitudinally challenged.  Brainiac Dan bought floor seats.   Sorry, AT!

Billy does seem a bit old for some of his antics on stage and he's an attention whore even compared to other performers, but I don't want to be too much of a downer on the show.  He played his heart out (even through some speaker troubles early on) and delivered what I paid for.

Below is tonight's setlist and then, because I missed it, a video of Goodnight Saigon, which I believe is pulling footage from his classic Live from Long Island concert video.

Angry Young Man
My Life speaker troubles, so they ended up doing over the 2d half after a Spinal Tap joke
Everybody Loves You Now
The Entertainer
Vienna
Allentown
Zanzibar
New York State of Mind
Moving Out (Anthony's Song)  dedicated to "Imus"
 ->  which was odd because the camera then flashed to the only woman on stage, a black saxaphone player from Gary, IN
Stand by Me tease into Innocent Man
Don't Ask Me Why
Always a Woman
Keeping the Faith
River of Dreams
Highway to Hell    AC/DC cover by the roadie Chainsaw
We Didn't Start the Fire
Big Shot
It's Still Rock and Roll to Me
You May be Right

E*Only the Good Die Young
E*Scenes from an Italian Restaurant
E*Piano Man