Official Billy Joel Thread

[Malcolm]

Dates are trickling in for Billy Joel's early 2006 roadtrip, which supports a soon-to-be-released box set, and marks his first major solo tour in almost seven years.The piano man has booked January shows in Tampa, Boston and New York City, and an early April stop in Las Vegas. As previously reported, Joel's schedule also includes a January show in Jacksonville, FL; and a March engagement in Philadelphia.

Tickets for both Florida shows and the Philly concert are scheduled to hit the box office on Saturday (11/19). On-sale dates for the other three shows weren't available at press time.

The upcoming run will be Joel's first major solo outing since his 1998-99 trek, during which he played for 1.1 million fans over the course of 64 shows, and grossed $47 million, according to a press release.

Since then, Joel's major concert appearances have generally been co-headlining dates with fellow singer/pianist Elton John. The two last toured together in 2003, and grossed $46 million from just 24 shows.

Next Tuesday (11/22), Columbia Records issues "My Lives," a four-CD collection that chronicles Joel's career "from his early '60s Long Island bar bands through his biggest hits to his most recent classical compositions," the label said in a press release. The set clocks in at more than five hours, and includes demos, live cuts, alternate takes, covers and more.

Also included in "My Lives" is "A Voyage on the River of Dreams - Live from The River of Dreams Tour," a live DVD shot in Frankfurt, Germany, on June 18, 1994.

A deluxe booklet packaged with the set will feature in-depth liner notes written by Anthony DeCurtis, track-by-track annotations of the unreleased material and photos from Joel's archives.

Joel personally selected all of the tracks included in the set, according to his label.

"I wanted some more obscure things to be represented on this set," Joel said in a statement. "I said, 'Let's dig into the tapes, the B-sides, the recording sessions and movie songs, things that had never been released officially."

Additional details about the boxed set are posted at Joel's website.

January 2006
10 - Jacksonville, FL - Veteran's Memorial Arena (on sale 11/19)
12 - Tampa, FL - St. Pete Times Forum (on sale 11/19)
19 - Boston, MA - TD Bank North Garden
23 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden

March 2006
7 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center (on sale 11/19)

April 2006
8 - Las Vegas - MGM Grand Garden

[Rob]

Its about friggin' time, Billy.

[metallex78]

Hope he plays ome shows in other countries too, it'd be cool see him in Australia again.

[Malcolm]

Tickets for the initial dates of Billy Joel's first solo tour in almost seven years hit the box office over the weekend and quickly sold out in several markets. Among the rapid sellouts was a Jan. 23 show on the New York-based musician's home turf. Organizers immediately extended Joel's stand at Madison Square Garden to three nights, with additional performances added for Jan. 26 and Feb. 2.

Also new to the itinerary is a March 13 show in Philadelphia, which was added on the fly after Joel's March 7 stop sold out.

No additional shows were unveiled, but more dates are expected, as the handful of shows announced so far are scattered from mid-January through early April. Details are included below.

January 2006
10 - Jacksonville, FL - Veterans Memorial Arena
12 - Tampa, FL - St. Pete Times Forum
19 - Boston, MA - TD Bank North Garden
23, 26 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden

February 2006
2 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden

March 2006
7, 13 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center

April 2006
8 - Las Vegas - MGM Grand Garden

[Malcolm]

Phoenix is the latest booking for Billy Joel's upcoming 2006 arena tour, marking the sixth city--and the 10th show--he's so far set to play from January through April.
Joel's Phoenix show is scheduled for March 3 at America West Arena, and tickets will hit the market Friday (12/3), according to promoters.

The upcoming tour marks Joel's first major solo outing since his 1998-99 trek, during which he played for 1.1 million fans over the course of 64 shows, and grossed $47 million, according to a press release.

Since then, Joel's major concert appearances have generally been co-headlining dates with fellow singer/pianist Elton John. The two last toured together in 2003, and grossed $46 million from just 24 shows.

Joel has concentrated on composing classical music in recent years, and it was generally believed that he had retired from the pop music scene. But Joel, in an appearance that aired Friday (11/25) on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," said he never meant to insinuate that he was walking away from his pop career.

"What I said ... was that I didn't want to do these long, grueling tours anymore," Joel explained. "I have been touring 35 years now, and I just got tired of the long tours--9 months, [a] year-and-a-half on the road. I just got too homesick and, it is too strange of a life. So, I said, 'I'm not going to do these long tours anymore.' So, I stopped and just started doing a few concerts in a small amount of time."

Joel also told DeGeneres that he hasn't stopped writing rock songs.

"As far as rock-and-roll writing, I started writing different kinds of music--classical music, movie sound tracks, more instrumental music," he said. "It doesn't mean I stopped writing songs. If I get a good idea for a song, I'm going to write it. I'm not going to stop myself, but I just got tired of being in the rock-and-roll rat race. I didn't want to have to be competing with radio stations: 'Are they going to play your record? Do you have the number one hit?' I have done that already. I don't feel like I have to prove anything."

Last week, Columbia Records issued "My Lives," a four-CD collection that chronicles Joel's career "from his early '60s Long Island bar bands through his biggest hits to his most recent classical compositions," the label said in a press release. The set clocks in at more than five hours, and includes demos, live cuts, alternate takes, covers and more.

January 2006
10 - Jacksonville, FL - Veterans Memorial Arena
12 - Tampa, FL - St. Pete Times Forum
19 - Boston, MA - TD Bank North Garden
23, 26 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden

February 2006
2 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden

March 2006
3 - Phoenix, AZ - America West Arena (on sale 12/3)
7, 13 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center

April 2006
8 - Las Vegas - MGM Grand Garden

[Malcolm]

Another weekend of brisk ticket sales moved Billy Joel  to add two more performances at New York City's Madison Square Garden.

January 2006
15 - Sunrise, FL - BankAtlantic Center
19 - Boston, MA - TD Banknorth Garden
23, 26 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
30 - Boston, MA - TD Banknorth Garden

February 2006
2 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
4 - Boston, MA - TD Banknorth Garden
9, 11 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
14 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center
16, 25, 27 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden

March 2006
2, 4 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
7 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center
10 - Hartford, CT - Hartford Civic Center
13 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center
16 - Washington, DC - MCI Center
20 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center
23 - Hartford, CT - Hartford Civic Center
25 - Syracuse, NY - Carrier Dome
28 - Hartford, CT - Hartford Civic Center
30 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center

April 2006
3 - Phoenix, AZ - America West Arena
5 - Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center
8 - Las Vegas, - MGM Grand Garden
19 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden (on sale 1/21)
22 - Hartford, CT - Hartford Civic Center (on sale 1/21)

[Malcolm]

By the time his current tour ends, native New Yorker Billy Joel  will have played at least a dozen hometown shows.

Joel has rolled out a twelfth show that will take place April 24 at Madison Square Garden, tickets for which hit the box office Saturday (2/4).

The piano man, who launched his tour in Florida last month, has already played two shows in the Big Apple, and a third is scheduled for Thursday night (2/2). Five subsequent February performances at MSG are also planned, as are a pair of concerts in both March and April. Details are included below.

Joel's current tour is his first major solo outing since the late '90s. The hitmaker is working his way through a leisurely itinerary that largely comprises non-consecutive, multi-night runs throughout the Northeast. Since launching the jaunt back on Jan. 7, he has performed only eight shows, the most recent of which took place Sunday (1/30) in Boston.

The outing in part supports "My Lives," a box set that Columbia Records issued last November. The four-disc collection chronicles Joel's career "from his early '60s Long Island bar bands through his biggest hits to his most recent classical compositions," according to a press release. The set includes demos, live cuts, alternate takes, covers and more.

February 2006
2 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
4 - Boston, MA - TD Banknorth Garden
9, 11 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
14 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center
16, 25, 27 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden

March 2006
2, 4 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
7 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center
10 - Hartford, CT - Hartford Civic Center
13 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center
16 - Washington, DC - MCI Center
20 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center
23 - Hartford, CT - Hartford Civic Center
25 - Syracuse, NY - Carrier Dome
28 - Hartford, CT - Hartford Civic Center
30 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center

April 2006
3 - Phoenix, AZ - America West Arena
5 - Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center
8 - Las Vegas, - MGM Grand Garden
14 - Washington, DC - MCI Center
19 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
22 - Hartford, CT - Hartford Civic Center
24 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden (on sale 2/4)

[Malcolm]

Billy Joel is to tour the UK and Ireland for the first time in 12 years, Sound Generator can reveal.

The Grammy Award-winner, currently in the middle of a massive world tour (which broke records after the star sold out New York's Madison Square Garden for 12 consecutive nights [read: Billy Joel breaks records at Madison Sq. Garden]), will touch down in early July for the arena shows, which begin Wednesday the 5th at the Birmingham NEC.

The full tour plans look like this:

July 2006

5 - Birmingham NEC
10 - Wembley Arena
19 - Manchester MEN Arena
24 - Glasgow SECC
29 - Dublin Croke Park

Tickets for all the dates go on sale Friday 31st March at 9am
   
   
     

[Malcolm]

Billy Joel, who began a worldwide tour early this year, will be back in the States for a couple of Hawaiian dates in December before hitting the eastern US in early February for a slew of shows that run into March.

The Piano Man is fresh off a sold-out run of dates in Australia and starts a six-gig dome tour of Japan tonight (11/28). International shows are listed on his website; the US itinerary is below.

December 2006
16 - Honolulu, HI - Blaisdell Arena
18 - Kahului, HI - A&B Amphitheatre

February 2007
7 - Jacksonville, FL - Jacksonville Arena
10 - Orlando, FL - TD Waterhouse Centre
12 - Miami, FL - AmericanAirlines Arena
14 - Columbia, SC - Colonial Center
17 - Greenville, SC - Bi-Lo Center
21 - Nashville, TN - Gaylord Entertainment Center
23 - Charlottesville, VA - JPJ Arena
26 - Birmingham, AL - BJCC Arena

March 2007
1 - Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
3 - Raleigh, NC - RBC Center
6 - New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Arena

[metallex78]

I went along to one of Billy Joel's Sydney shows and it was awesome. Billy played for nearly 2 hours straight and I knew nearly every song, he has so many hits!

For a guy pushing 60, he's certainly lost none of his musical ability.

[Malcolm]

Billy Joel  has added more shows to his 2007 North American tour, which kicks off Feb. 7 in Jacksonville, FL, and sticks around the East Coast and Midwest into May.

The Piano Man will get in a warm-up performance Feb. 4, when he sings the National Anthem at Super Bowl XLI in Miami Gardens, FL. His itinerary is listed below.

Joel's 2006 world tour was his first solo outing since the late '90s; during the interim, he paired with Elton John for their co-headlining "Face to Face" tours.

On the new-music front, the New York Post recently reported that Joel recorded a new song, "All My Life," with producer Phil Ramone in December. The paper said it is the first pop song the six-time Grammy winner has recorded since 1993's "River of Dreams."

Joel's latest album, June's "12 Gardens Live," is a two-CD set that features performances from his record-breaking, 12-night stand at New York City's Madison Square Garden last April.

February 2007
4 - Miami Gardens, FL - Dolphin Stadium
7 - Jacksonville, FL - Jacksonville Arena
10 - Orlando, FL - Amway Arena
12 - Miami, FL - American Airlines Arena
14 - Columbia, SC - Colonial Center
17 - Greenville, SC - Bi-Lo Center
21 - Nashville, TN - Gaylord Entertainment Center
23 - Charlottesville, VA - JPJ Arena
26 - Birmingham, AL - BJCC Arena

March 2007
1 - Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
3 - Raleigh, NC - RBC Center
6 - New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Arena

April 2007
10 - Buffalo, NY - HSBC Arena
13 - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
17 - Albany, NY - Times Union Center
20 - Toronto, Ontario - Air Canada Centre
25 - St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
28 - Omaha, NE - Qwest Center

May 2007
1 - Oklahoma City, OK - Ford Center
4 - Auburn Hills, MI - Palace of Auburn Hills
9 - St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center

[Malcolm]

Billy Joel to release new single

NEW YORK (AP) - This time he's singing about an "East End Girl."

Billy Joel, who famously sang about Christie Brinkley in his hit "Uptown Girl," is releasing his first pop single in 14 years. "All My Life," which will be available on People magazine's website Feb. 7 and can be downloaded from iTunes starting Feb. 20, is a song he wrote as an anniversary present for his present wife, Katie Lee Joel. It also will be in stores later this year.

He recorded the song last year in Manhattan with producer Phil Ramone in honour of his wife, who hosted the first season of the Bravo TV series "Top Chef." She also writes a culinary and lifestyle column for Hamptons Magazine.

The couple were married in 2004 at Joel's mansion in Oyster Bay.

The Piano Man said fans of his pop music shouldn't get too excited about hearing more from him. He told Newsday that "All My Life" is the only pop song he has finished since his 1993 album "River of Dreams."

Joel will sing the national anthem at Sunday's Super Bowl and begins his latest tour Feb. 7 in Jacksonville, Fla.

[Malcolm]

Billy Joel preps for arena tour

Billy Joel is heading into fall with a handful of North American shows beginning next month.

The Piano Man will start Oct. 30 in Vancouver and visit a couple of cities in Alberta before heading to the US for concerts in Seattle; Oakland, CA; Las Vegas; and Kansas City, MO. Details are listed below.

In May, Joel completed a US trek that saw him visit states all over the eastern half of the country. His 2006 world tour marked his first solo outing since the '90s. During the interim, he paired with Elton John for the co-headlining "Face to Face" tours.

October 2007
30 - Vancouver, British Columbia - General Motors Place

November 2007
3 - Edmonton, Alberta - Rexall Place
5 - Calgary, Alberta - Pengrowth Saddledome
8 - Seattle, WA - Key Arena
10 - Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena
17 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden

December 2007
6 - Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center

[Malcolm]

Billy Joel who has been unveiling tour dates in drips and drabs, has opened the floodgates, relatively speaking.

The iconic singer/songwriter has mapped a batch of new April shows set in Pittsburgh; Columbus, OH; Montreal; and New Orleans, and has also booked a late-May, four-night stand at Connecticut's Mohegan Sun. Also new to his itinerary is a July 10 performance at Pennsylvania's Hersheypark Stadium.

The new dates augment a loose-knit schedule that previously had comprised one-off dates in March and April, as well as a July two-night stand at New York City's Shea Stadium. Details are shown below.

Joel is currently in the midst of a handful of shows on the left side of the country, which began earlier this week in Anaheim, CA.

Joel's newly added engagement at Hersheypark Stadium will be his first concert at the venue since a sold-out concert on Aug. 15, 1990, during his "Storm Front" tour, according to Pennsylvania newspaper The Patriot-News.

February 2008
28 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center

March 2008
2 - Milwaukee, WI - Bradley Center

April 2008
15 - Des Moines, IA - Wells Fargo Arena
18 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena
20 - Columbus, OH - Nationwide Arena
23 - Montreal, Quebec - Bell Centre
26 - New Orleans, LA - Jazzfest

May 2008
23, 25, 29, 31 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena

July 2008
10 - Hershey, PA - Hersheypark Stadium
16, 18 - New York, NY - Shea Stadium

[Malcolm]

Billy Joel starts making plans for next year

Billy Joel, who is currently touring overseas, will launch 2009 with a short run of US dates before hitting the road with Elton John.

Joel has three January performances booked in Hollywood, FL, and a Feb. 14 gig in Las Vegas. His publicist confirmed that he and John will team once again next year, though dates have yet to be released. John's current commitments extend through April. The piano men last toured together in 2002.

Meanwhile, Joel is making his way through China, Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand through mid-December. Those international dates can be found at his website, and confirmed US shows are listed below.

The iconic singer/songwriter recently released "Billy Joel Essential 3.0," which adds a third disc of hits to the set's previous edition. Over the summer, he also put out two special editions of his 1977 breakout album, "The Stranger"--one comprising two CDs and the other featuring 2 CDs and a bonus DVD.

Joel said he was finished writing pop songs following 1993's "River of Dreams," but he returned to the genre last year, issuing a single titled "All My Life" as an anniversary present for his wife. He followed that by penning the anti-war pop song "Christmas in Fallujah," which was recorded by emerging singer/songwriter Cass Dillon.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has racked up six Grammy statues, including the Grammy Legend Award, and has sold more than 100 million records during a career that spans four decades, according to his bio. His "Greatest Hits Volume I and II" has moved more than 20 million copies alone, making it the best-selling hits album by a male artist.

[Malcolm]

I was to young to see Joel and Elton play together in 2002...And I wouldnt pay to see Elton on his own although he would be great im sure...So hopefully they make there way to Toronto...Billy Joels awesome

[mrlee]

Who would you pick?



or



I think im going for Mr Idol.

Because i dreamt last night that he had his own PS3 game.

It was epic. You run through crazy psychedelic levels as Billy Idol doing the fist of steel to warn off enemies, each levels features a Billy Idol track. Then when you complete it, he blasts through in a cosmic cruiser doing the sneer n generally cheesing it up. I just think that is damn fuckin worthy! 

[Malcolm]

Billy Joel, Elton John Make Touring Team

Billy Joel and Elton John will reprise their wildly successful co-headlining concerts beginning in March of next year.

John confirmed the duo would work again together yesterday (Nov. 11) on "The View," adding that they could be on the road for "at least" two years. But sources say the extent of the pairing is still being determined.

At first, Joel and John will play "select cities" in March and May. Details of initial on-sales will be announced soon.

Regarded as the top-grossing co-headliners of all time, John and Joel first worked together in 1994 and last toured together in 2003, when they grossed $45.8 million from only 24 sellouts, an average of nearly $2 million per night, according to Billboard Boxscore.

The pair have played stadiums as well as multiple nights at arenas, but all upcoming shows will be in arenas. Sources say the format will be similar to 2003, when the artists played songs together and individually.

Ticket prices will be similar to 2003, when the top price was $175. "It's two people for the price of one," John said on "The View." "Our ticket prices are the same as you'd see anyone else, but there's two of us. In this day and age, we hope to be getting people value for their money."

It is believed the tour will work with individual promoters in each market as opposed to a national touring deal. John is booked by Howard Rose at the Howard Rose Agency, and Joel by Dennis Arfa at Artists Group International.

[mrlee]

^ wouldnt it be amazing to play the venues those guys get to play, for that many people.

[freedom78]

^^I saw Elton a few years back, and would like to see Joel as well.  Hope they swing by Indy.  They're my two favorite artists that I'd consider to be mostly "pop" (though both veer into bluesy rock n' roll, which drastically increases their credibility in my eyes).