Billy Joel
Soldier Field
Chicago, Illinois
June 21, 2024

Source: DPA 4060 => Tascam DR-2d
Conversion: WAV => Audio Cleaning Lab => FLAC (16-bit)

Location: 300 level

Track listing:

Disc 1 (76:43):
(1) Intro (0:49)
(2) My Life (5:18)
(3) Pressure (5:08)
(4) My Kind of Town (1:07)
(5) Banter (1:34)
(6) Vienna (3:38)
(7) Banter (1:13)
(8) Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) (3:50)
(9) Banter (0:52)
(10) Start Me Up (tease) (1:26)
(11) Banter (1:20)
(12) An Innocent Man (5:45)
(13) Banter (0:52)
(14) The Lion Sleeps Tonight (1:08)
(15) Barbara Ann (0:57)
(16) The Longest Time (5:29)
(17) Zanzibar (6:04)
(18) Allentown (4:02)
(19) Hey Joe (tease) (1:19)
(20) New York State of Mind(7:27)
(21) Banter (0:36)
(22) The Entertainer (4:18)
(23) Sleeping With The Television On (3:11)
(24) Sometimes a Fantasy (4:15)
(25) Only The Good Die Young (4:55)

Disc 2 (53:50):
(1) The River of Dreams (7:52)
Incl. River Deep, Mountain High
(2) Nessun Dorma (3:12)
(3) Scenes From an Italian Restaurant (8:13)
(4) Banter (1:33)
(5) Piano Man (5:58)
(6) Encore break (3:27)
(7) We Didn't Start The Fire (5:25)
(8) Uptown Girl (3:13)
(9) It's Still Rock and Roll To Me (4:00)
(10) Big Shot (4:46)
(11) You May Be Right (6:06)

There are no fades applied to this recording. If you choose to burn this to CD, the above splits are just a suggestion.

Comments: This recording captures Billy Joel's headlining set at Soldier Field during his brief summer tour with Stevie Nicks. Had I known how robust the setlist would be for both performers, I probably would have gone to the show despite the steep ticket prices ($200+). To my surprise, Billy played his full two hour-plus setlist despite Stevie's extended opening act, which offered a great value for the concert-goers who were willing to pay the premium prices. The set focused primarily on Billy's 1970s catalog, with a handful of deep cuts and covers to entertain the faithful. Overall, a quality 130 minutes.

In terms of sound quality, this is extremely good given the stadium setting. Despite the fact that this is recorded from the 300 level, the sound is powerful and features a great mix. TallTaper was fortunate in his location in that there is not much audience interference; you hear some audience murmur during the quiet parts (mostly between songs) but nothing that will interfere with your enjoyment of the music.

If you are a fan of Billy Joel, you will probably consider this worth the download. This is on par, if not better, than the monthly recordings that have been posted from his monthly residency at Madison Square Garden -- which is remarkable, given the size and unpredictability of Soldier Field. Check out the samples in the comments if in doubt.

Many thanks to TallTaper for taping and sharing. I was just the helper who EQ'd and tracked it.