Spring Break
The Daily OrangeThe entertainer: Billy Joel's low-key performance hits all the right notes
By Alex Shebar
Posted: 3/26/06, 11:14 PM EST Section: Pulp
The lights went down after a two-hour set of rock 'n' roll classics, and 39,000 people stood in their seats waiting for an encore from a living rock legend. Thousands of lights from cell phones and lighters began to flicker on, giving an eerie blue and gold aquarium feeling to the Carrier Dome. The rocker finally returned and, after playing two of his hit songs, finished with the one tune everyone was waiting for, "Piano Man." And in the midst of what could possibly be the largest sing-along in the history of Syracuse University, the rocker smiled and sang these lyrics to the applause of the crowd:
"It's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday / And the manager gives me a smile / 'Cause he knows that it's me they've been coming to see / To forget about life for a while."
And that's exactly how it felt when Billy Joel played at SU.
Joel played a two and a half hour set Saturday night to a filled Dome, breaking the record for the amount of people he had previously held with The Rolling Stones. While starting 25 minutes late and encountering some sound problems, Joel quickly won over the crowd with songs emphasizing his amazing talents on the piano and lyrics perfect for a hall filled with SU Students.
Without any words to the audience, Joel began the night with "Angry Young Man" and segued right into "My Life," both songs about dealing with being young in society. It was the perfect start to what would be a nonstop rock spectacle filled with stage antics, stories from the road and surprise guests.
Joel's performance was a culmination of a yearlong celebration of the 25th birthday of the Dome. Joel, currently on the My Lives tour, his first solo tour in seven years, has played a large role at SU this year. Beyond the performance, he gave the College of Visual and Performing Arts $320,000 for music fellowships in September and will be the keynote speaker at the university's commencement ceremony in May.
And like any good party, there were a few surprises. About halfway through the show, people started arranging things to the side of the stage. Even Billy commented on it by exclaiming, "Some strange people are walking around on the stage. Some kind of weird shit is going on here." And so it was, when the hosts of the Discovery Channel show "Orange County Choppers" showed up on stage to present Joel with "The Billy Bike," their latest cycle creation.
"It's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday / And the manager gives me a smile / 'Cause he knows that it's me they've been coming to see / To forget about life for a while."
And that's exactly how it felt when Billy Joel played at SU.
Joel played a two and a half hour set Saturday night to a filled Dome, breaking the record for the amount of people he had previously held with The Rolling Stones. While starting 25 minutes late and encountering some sound problems, Joel quickly won over the crowd with songs emphasizing his amazing talents on the piano and lyrics perfect for a hall filled with SU Students.
Without any words to the audience, Joel began the night with "Angry Young Man" and segued right into "My Life," both songs about dealing with being young in society. It was the perfect start to what would be a nonstop rock spectacle filled with stage antics, stories from the road and surprise guests.
Joel's performance was a culmination of a yearlong celebration of the 25th birthday of the Dome. Joel, currently on the My Lives tour, his first solo tour in seven years, has played a large role at SU this year. Beyond the performance, he gave the College of Visual and Performing Arts $320,000 for music fellowships in September and will be the keynote speaker at the university's commencement ceremony in May.
And like any good party, there were a few surprises. About halfway through the show, people started arranging things to the side of the stage. Even Billy commented on it by exclaiming, "Some strange people are walking around on the stage. Some kind of weird shit is going on here." And so it was, when the hosts of the Discovery Channel show "Orange County Choppers" showed up on stage to present Joel with "The Billy Bike," their latest cycle creation.
