The Piano Man Is In a 2024 State of Mind
Writing and photos by Taylor Gabrovic
Graphic by Rebekah Witt
Watching one year conclude and another one begin is often a bittersweet experience. For some people, their favorite way to spend the holiday is in pajamas, watching the ball drop from their living room. For others, it is getting dressed in sparkles and glitter and going out. Attending Billy Joel’s New Year’s Eve concert at UBS Arena was an unforgettable, unique experience, especially for someone who typically falls with the cozy couch celebrators.
Joel began his career over half a century ago and has released thirteen studio albums. He is a six-time Grammy winner and has sold more than 150 million records worldwide, making him one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time. Joel also has a record-breaking residency at Madison Square Garden, one of the world’s most famous arenas. In July of 2024, Joel will perform his final show of the residency and his 150th show at the venue.
Despite being a native Long Islander, Joel had never performed at the Belmont Park arena before the sold-out New Year’s Eve show, so the energy and excitement of fans were tangible. There was a clear feeling of pride radiating towards Joel from the local fans in the audience, which he met with an intimate performance that ran approximately two and a half hours. The setlist was filled with some of Joel’s biggest hits, deep tracks, and covers.
It isn't often that such a wide variety of ages and even attire can be found at one event, but Joel’s concert was that anomaly. Young and old, some concertgoers were decked out in their New Year’s best metallics and sparkles, while others wore sweatpants and a trusty Billy Joel t-shirt. However, excitement was the one thing everybody seemed to have in common.
Joel’s vibrant, approachable personality was shown through his interspersed commentary, jokes, and dance moves. Joel joked with concertgoers from the very beginning of the show, “Bad news is we don’t have anything new to play. Good news is you don’t have to sit through something you don’t know.” And then he took it one step further and put on what could be described as an “annoying geezer” voice and mocked, “Oh no! They’re gonna do their new album. Do the old stuff!” The humor infiltrated the entire concert and fostered a light-hearted, intimate environment.
Joel was not the only one performing covers; a member of his band, Crystal Taliefero, performed a masterful rendition of “River Deep, Mountain High.” Other covers performed included: “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” “Barbara Ann,” “Whole Lotta Love,” “All You Need Is Love,” and more. Joel’s cover of “Start Me Up” electrified fans. Joel’s sarcastic warning, “Don’t get your knickers in a twist. I’m not Mick Jagger,” preceded the song.
Arguably, the night's best performance was “Piano Man,” not only because of Joel’s vocals or piano playing but because of the crowd’s energy. Throughout the song, every word was sung back to Joel even louder. Concertgoers could be viewed arm-in-arm, swaying with their eyes closed and belting their hearts out. When Joel stopped singing and allowed the crowd to sing the chorus, every word could be understood and heard just as if Joel was singing into the microphone.
Until midnight, fans could be seen checking their clocks, wondering, “How is he going to get through all of his hits before midnight?” And the answer was he didn’t. He made it approximately halfway through the setlist before it was time to put the Times Square ball drop live stream on the big screen and countdown to midnight. Of course, it would not be a proper New Year’s Eve celebration without the rendition of “Auld Lang Syne.” As Joel and the crowd sang, people were seen toasting to 2024 and sharing their first kisses of the year. Once the song concluded, it returned to Joel’s discography and witty personality until the show finished approximately an hour later.
Like most performers of Joel’s level and success, some concertgoers were disappointed about the excluding of their favorite song from the setlist. A common disappointment was for Joel’s 1978 song, “Zanzibar.” Another factor that disappointed some fans had nothing to do with Joel’s performance but instead with the arena and their failure to remove obstructions from the view of fans in the “nosebleeds” sections. As the home of the New York Islanders, UBS Arena is adorned with banners celebrating the team’s successes; however, these massive banners either partially or wholly obstructed fans’ view of the screens and the stage. Despite being told about the issue before the opening act, Regina Spektor took the stage; nothing was done to remedy the situation. Due to rising ticket prices and fees industry-wide, it is regrettable for fans to experience obstructed views without warning and any refunds or assistance.
Seeing a legendary performer like Joel at the latter end of their career can be a letdown. Whether it be incoherent singing, struggling to play their instrument, or a noticeable lack of interest or energy, some artists don’t provide a fantastic show in their “golden years.” However, Joel is not one of those performers; instead, he is one that everybody should try to see perform live before he permanently “closes the piano.”
Setlist for Billy Joel at UBS Arena, December 31, 2023:
My Life
Pressure
Everybody Loves You Now
The Downeaster “Alexa”
Start Me Up
An Innocent Man
The Lion Sleeps Tonight
Barbara Ann
The Longest Time
Big Man on Mulberry Street
Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)
Half a Mile Away
Vienna
Don’t Ask Me Why
Allentown
New York State of Mind
The River of Dreams (with “River Deep Mountain High” interlude)
Whole Lotta Love
Auld Lang Syne
All You Need Is Love
Only the Good Die Young
Nessun Dorma
Scenes from an Italian Restaurant
Souvenir
Piano Man
(Encore:)
We Didn’t Start the Fire
Uptown Girl
It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me
Big Shot
You May Be Right