Billy Joel

[dsostar]

I saw Billy Joel last night.

that's the beginning and end of the story... here's the tale...

i had 2 tickets to see Phish at the Mann Center this past Wed. I enjoy Phish, but i need to carefully consume my show resources. My wife hates concerts, so i have to use chunks of "me" time - i spent a lot of goodwill breaking away for 5 days with Fare Thee Well, and with some choice pickins this Fall, Phish was a push, especially for a week night.

So i decided to try selling the tickets on StubHub - i asked for more $ than what i would pay, even deducting fees - but i just wanted to make a move and decide fair price later, figuring i would eventually make a more "social" way of passing - people who know me understand that i will miracle even high $ tix.

I was surprised when they were purchased last week. They were ticketbastard, so someone saw my name with a face price far South of what they just paid. Whatever, i am an advocate for free markets.

Last weekend, i was listening to the radio - yes, the local terrestrial variety where live DJ's talk to other real humans and discuss local events. And they were highliting Billy coming to town. Playing lot's of his songs. Well Billy was popular in my youth. I was a casual fan compared to others who really liked. This was pre-Dead for me - and my female friends enjoyed music like Billy, Tom Petty, Jackson Browne. My fantasy girl would have enjoyed Yes, but that never happened.

But here's the thing with Billy and me. I respect his songs and playing, and certainly he's deserving to have his songs played forward. "These are the times" will be hard to match as the background music for future wistful retrospects. But, "Captain Jack"? That's my top Billy song. Rock anthem. Captain Jack will get you high. I once experienced a pre-college football game party where the last song played before going into the game was Captain Jack - everyone singing gloriously. Anyone have a great live example? Studio =

　

Billy was worth my personal resources, the trick was how to pull off. The best play was to turn the Phish $ into Billy tix, and Karma balanced. I wanted to take a girl friend who i hadn't seen in a while - known for decades, went to our wedding, fully vetted by my wife, no problems there...but i have enough husband sense to ask my wife if she wants to go, then put all into play. She hates concerts, Citizens Bank Park with 50,000 drunk middle-age folks....she said "yes".

Hmm, OK - time to execute plan B - take the wife, leave any hints of Dead swag at home - all i need is for some blissfully unaware acquaintance to ramble on about some past show experience we had that i would prefer not airing in front of my wife.

I parlayed to great floor seats, and ended up having a good time - and Captain Jack rocked. I was a little sad because the folks around us were all "sit-down" - thankfully there was 1 guy behind me, and plenty in front standing that i could stand. Since my wife wanted to sit too, i really couldn't bail and move toward others who were moving themselves in a better time. I was "shimmying" which looked energetic compared to the local sitters. If i made the same moves at a DSO show someone might poke me asking if i was OK because i looked comatose.

Home is where the heart is, can't wait to see DSO again...All good things in all good time.

[found]

Hopefully you and Billy Joel left the show at different times! What a menace behind the wheel.

[Rude]

We were having this discussion about seeing non jam bands more than once or following them on tour. Of course you would see the same set list played mostly the same if not note for note night after night. I can't count how many times people have said how can u see the same show 2 nights in a row. People seem dumbfounded to find out that in a jubilee setting that you get no repeats over 3 nights. People also seem flabbergasted to hear how long the shows are. "Yeah but what about people who go to a show and want to hear their best songs". People also don't get that the dead had like 100 "best" songs and there are no must hear tunes. I saw some GD parking lot vids where people were saying I just want to hear Touch. Eek. Refer back to non jam band attendees. I'm not putting down bands who play the same show as no one has a catalog like the dead but those bands are meant to be seen once when they come through town. Thank god we all discovered the holy grail of music and everything that comes with it.

[Ammagamalin Crew]

This Phish tour is reeling, the new album is like none other, sorry to read you skipped the Philly show. I still digging the vibe from the Cuyahogo experience. I've been seeing Phish since 1993 and even left a show early once (boring); however, they're at a whole northern level now.

[Blindman]

Phish is playing really well right now. Minus the scores of fans arrested last night in NC.

Billy Joel was my first concert at the LA Forum in '84. Quite a sailor's mouth on that guy back then. Great songwriter/singer though. And had Christie Brinkley in her prime. Not bad.

[acududeman]

I accepted free tix recently to see Steve Miller at Wolf Trap......amazingly boring.

 

GD/DSO have spoiled me......that being said, I'm so grateful that in the 70's & 80's I caught some great shows (Talking Heads, B-52's, Elvis Costello, Boston, the Cars, Pretenders, Edgar Winter, Stevie Ray to name a few....).

[2muchfun]

In my attics....for some reason saw a Donna Summer show at forest hills tennis center ( see US Open ) in the 70's.

I think she did like 4 songs in a 100 min set.

Love to Love You was 45 minutes of insanity. She did things with microphone...well wall of sound may be only sane comparison

If you were a male in first three rows and didn't ejaculate you needed to see a physician....enough said