Billy Joel brought his tour to Detroit after an extended 2 year hiatus due to Covid. My wife had won tickets to this show in 2020 and we, along with about 37,000 other fans, anxiously awaited the legend’s return to Detroit. I can tell you that it was worth it and then some. We decided to get there very early knowing that the surrounding area would be packed with not only ticket holders but also the people partying in the streets who were soon to get a free show. In between photographing the show and going to my seats, I had to drop off my gear in the car, people were literally dancing in the streets and ironically, Billy Joel played a tidbit of the Motown hit “Dancing’ in the Streets”. Doors were at 7pm, we arrived at 5pm and I’m glad we were there early not only for the great parking, but we also got to soak in a lot of the atmosphere with a multigenerational sea of people. As early as we were, we definitely weren’t the first in line for the show as the place was buzzing when we got there.
The show opened up with one of our local stars, Andrew McMahon and the Wilderness. Andrew never disappoints with his stage presence. Hits are plenty and he has a great connection with the audience. One of the more active pianists I’ve seen, not only does he get up to address the crowd, but he can also be found dancing on his piano, stomping the keys, and getting air on jumps. He’s definitely a crowd pleaser. Having a lot of fun with the crowd for this show in particular, he started a traditional baseball wave that seemingly everyone took part in (For those who don’t know, Comerica Park is home to baseball’s Detroit Tigers). He did a great job of firing up a crowd that really didn’t need much fuel to get started in the first place.
Now we take our place to photograph this majestic event. The photographers are instructed to stand off to the side of the stage, it’s a little difficult of an angle, but as professionals, we manage. The thing that bugged me is that we were made to stand in front of a group of front row ticket holders. Feeling bad about it, I turned to the guests and apologized with an explanation that we would only be there for 3 songs. They we so thrilled by the turn of events that they replied that they couldn’t care less. You see, they originally had seats back in the stratosphere! They were between 600-700 feet away from the stage but were they lucky picks from Billy’s management to get a free upgrade to front row!!! Billy is just an amazingly thoughtful person and this is but one example of his kindness. While he was playing those 3 songs, I could see his concern as we couldn’t help but be intrusive during that time. Ironically, had we just been given the typical photo pit access, we would have been out of everyones way per usual but the directions forced us all in an awkward position. Regardless, a good time was had by everyone. As we exited, the people happily waved at us and were nothing but giant smiles. Let’s go back to the “stratosphere seats”. My wife won tickets that were of equal distance from the stage. Now that might sound bad but in reality, the view was absolutely surreal. Now throw in that its perfect Michigan summer night. The sun setting with moon in the sky, the beautiful Detroit skyline in plain view, you could see the entire span of the crowd, the stage was dramatically lit and the sound was stellar. While we as far as you could get from the stage, I don’t think I would choose to sit anywhere else with that view.
To me, there are so many amazing A+ artists that personify New York, a place that is on my bucket list to visit. Legends like Streisand, Bennett, Notorious BIG, Lady Gaga, Jay Z, Bon Jovi, etc… but no one, for me represents NY like Billy Joel. The musical history of New York is so vast and is the main reason I’d love to travel there.
Back to the stage… Mr Billy Joel approaches his piano. Everyone capable rises to their feet and the cheer’s volume hits level 10. Even with professional ear plugs in, the crowd was deafening. Billy greets the audience very briefly as they have waited long enough and he proceeds to blow everyone away with “My Life”. The sound at Comerica Park was on point and Billy’s voice was as good as ever. He sang with power and he certainly owned the whole venue for a two hour onslaught of hit after hit. Seeing him play piano live was enlightening. Billy is obviously one of the best performers of all time known for his song writing, musicianship and voice, but seeing him live puts all of that into a different perspective on a new level. I am so lucky to have been able to take part in this show. My approval to cover this show came in at 3pm on the day of the show and when you get an opportunity like this, you don’t pass it up!
With all the hits that were played, Billy had a treat for the crowd. For me, this song stood out over the others because this was one that he genuinely wanted to play. I say it like that because one can only imagine how many times he has performed hits like “Pressure”. He mentioned before playing- “This one is a song that most of you don’t know, hell, we don’t even know it very well” The song was “Room of our Own” which absolutely rocked. Funny to consider any song from Billy to be a B-side but this was a song that doesn’t get radio air play and a song that is probably a refreshing break for a seasoned artist. For me, it was the most enjoyable song of the set.
I almost forgot! Kidding, as you couldn’t possibly forget Billy Joel bringing out Joe Elliot from Def Leppard and performing “Pour Some Sugar On Me” along with another one of Def Leppards hits mixed in the middle of the song. Def Leppard is slated to play at Comerica Park the day after Billy Joel’s show. It seemed like an unlikely pairing but they absolutely rocked it. (Pun intended if you know DL songs) The way the crowd reacted and sang along, you’d of thought they were there to see Def Leppard but no one saw that coming.
Overall this will go in the books as one of the best, one of the biggest, and one of my personal favorite shows of all time. Unforgettable.
~Joe
