Listening to these stations and my own musical station choices gave me rather eclectic musical tastes. While I could differentiate between Peggy Lee and Rosemary Clooney, I worked to teach my mother about more "modern" music. On Long Island, pop music usually meant Billy Joel. For a time, Billy even used to practice in the garage across the street, when he was getting his start with the Hassles, as a fellow band member lived there.
Billy Joel grew up in nearby Hicksville, lived later in Oyster Bay and even wrote a song about Christiano's, a popular Italian restaurant in Syosset.
I have seen him several times in concert, most recently one year ago today. I had gotten the tickets several weeks prior to my being in New York for my mother's funeral and decided to go to the show anyway. I really believe my mother would have wanted me to. So I went, was melancholy at times, even tearing up during a few songs, but had a great time. Billy is a master showman and gives a great concert. This run of concerts at Madison Square Garden set a record and there has been a CD released of the concerts.
Here is the set list from the show that I attended on March 4, 2006.
- Prelude / Angry Young Man
- My Life
- Everybody Loves You Now
- Ballad of Billy the Kid
- New York State of Mind
- Summer, Highland Falls
- The Entertainer
- Zanzibar
- Miami 2017: Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway
- Allentown
- Sometimes a Fantasy
- Captain Jack
- Movin’ Out (Anthony's Song)
- She’s Always a Woman
- Keeping the Faith
- River of Dreams
- Highway to Hell (AC/DC song, performed by roadie)
- We Didn’t Start the Fire
- Big Shot
- It's Still Rock and Roll to Me
- You May Be Right
For the Encore, Billy returned to play Only the Good Die Young, Scenes from an Italian Restaurant and Piano Man (as if he would ever close out a show without it).
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