Billy Joel,
Madison Square Garden,
New York City, NY
April 18, 2014

(conan1982 Master) [AUD] 16bit

This gig was Billy's fourth New York appearance during the residency he began in January 2014 and the second show that year I was
able to attend. Having not recorded the February one both for sheer enjoyment as well as my wanting to become familiarized with The
Garden's new security procedures I was still not prepared for the lengths they would go to; a procedure whereby I felt more violated than
I'd ever been before, left sweaty, greatly annoyed and possibly scarred for life at the hands of MSG's security.

Choosing what looked to be the most lax of security agents after seeing over a dozen other concertfoers basically scanned briefly and waved
through, I began what would turn out to be a thorough, NYPD-like stop-and-frisk encounter which I would never have believed possible. After
being wanded nearly half a dozen times and my bag looked through thoroughly, I was then asked to empty my pockets each additional time the
alarm sounded. Wearing a black leather motorcycle jacket, the alarm sounded often, but having my recording gear in a jacket pocket, and a
large set of keys did not help matters either.

After what seemed like hours, and several more wand passes later, the agent grabbed my inner jacket pocket,squeezed it and asked me what
I had inside. I resignedly pulled my recorder out, and as the agent took and looked it over, asking what it was, I told him it was a walkman.
Oddly enough he believed me, handed it back, and thinking I'd made it though relief washed over me and I mooved to go in. Still, he was
not done yet. Patting my front jeans pocket, he felt what ended up being a small pocket knife, the blade being less than four fingers in length
and once seing it would not let me go in. Telling me I would have to throw it in the garbage, and me responding I could not, it had been a gift,
he told I could not enter with it under any circumstances. Feeling I'd literally hit a brick wall, and already feeling like Billy Hayes in the
Alan Parker film Midnight Express when searched by the Turks at the airport, I asked if there were a place that I could leave it until the
end of the concert, and after he cousulted with at least three other agents, I was finally able to gain entrance, having to check my knife
at the security office, to be picked up after the show.

As adreneline continued to rush through me I made it to my seat in row 111 behind the stage, after stopping to purchase a tourbook, and
not long after, for the next two hours I tried to let the music wash over me, only enjoying when I could briefly shake off the anger and
annoyance I still felt at being treated like a criminal.

It wasn't until afterward when I got home, months later, that I could listen to the recording which you will soon hear, where I could shake
some of the angst and frustration I felt at the hands of MSG's decidely overzealous and no doubt predjudiced agents who chose me, the
coolest looking concert goer there, and made me feel like a felon.

Despite this experience and the annoyance I still feel in retrospect, I still managed to make this full recording, which I've honestly enjoyed
more than the actual show I was at. This is Billy hitting a stride, and a band that despite being dubbed by some as being his "tribute group"
was tight, played well, and left the audience wanting for more despite litereally shaking the house even before the encore began.

I hope you all dig it as well.

Setlist:

1. Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)
2. Pressure
3. When I'm Sixty-Four (The Beatles cover) (first verse)
4. All for Leyna
5. Summer, Highland Falls
6. Easter Parade (instrumental snippet, by Irving Berlin)
7. Your Song (Elton John cover) (snippet)
8. The Entertainer
9. Zanzibar
10. She's Got a Way (with string quartet)
11. Where's the Orchestra? (with sting quartet)
12. Allentown
13. Goodnight Saigon (with members of the NYPD & NYFD)
14. Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
15. Rhapsody in Blue (Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra cover) (snippet, by composer George Gershwin)
16. New York State of Mind
17. Sometimes a Fantasy
18. She's Always a Woman
19. Don't Ask Me Why
20. The River of Dreams / A Hard Day's Night
21. Scenes From an Italian Restaurant
22. Piano Man

Encore:
23. Uptown Girl ("This one is for Frankie Valli." -- Billy Joel)
24. It's Still Rock and Roll to Me
25. Big Shot
26. You May Be Right
27. Only the Good Die Young

Artwork has been included. A special thanks goes out to Raven for his work on this recording.

Images for all shows as well as full size images for this show.

Images for this show: