On yet another unforgettable and historic evening with the legendary piano man, Billy Joel took the stage at Coors Field on Friday night to a mass of hot and happy fans. The pianist, songwriter, and overall acclaimed virtuoso is known for a few things, one of which is that he prefers to perform at baseball stadiums. Given that Joel is one of the quintessential American musicians, it’s certainly fitting that the fervent crowd found themselves at a packed venue that is host to the great American pastime on most other nights. Not even a cloudless, 100-degree evening could keep away the crowds, whom Joel gifted with a delightful two-and-a-half-hour show filled with hits, deep tracks, covers, and jokes.
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Opening with a fitting “Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)” to an uproarious cheer, Joel briefly yet charismatically gave each successive their own introduction, offering a bit of history with every tune. “Pressure” came before the timeless “Vienna,” with Joel then reminding us of yet another thing he is known for — holding the front row seats until the day of the show, whereupon his roadies miracle those tickets to folks headed to their nosebleed seats. His roadies are mostly men, Joel explained with a charming smile, and that all he sees in the front row “is good-looking girls.” This, he claims, is great for the show, and the audience certainly didn’t disagree.
Classics “The Entertainer” and “Zanzibar” came next, with the opening notes of something familiar following. In a mimicry of Mick Jagger, Joel stood up and did his best rooster impression before jumping into a partial rendition of The Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up.” This inevitably led to a solid wisecrack about the lack of oxygen in Denver that the aerobic imitation immediately reminded him about. The high notes of “An Innocent Man” came before the smooth singalong “Don’t Ask Me Why,” which was followed by “A Room of Our Own.”
Joel’s saxophonist, flutist and percussionist Mark Rivera then took over vocals for an apt cover of Joe Walsh’s “Rocky Mountain Way” that featured a slew of incendiary guitar solos. A double dose of fan favorites came with “New York State of Mind” and “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song),” with Joel taking another quick break from the music to make some more observations about the Mile High City. Pointing at the moon, he joked, “Is that real? It’s too big and too bald.” After another round of hearty laughter, Joel and his band ran through more favorites from his extensive catalog — “Allentown,” “My Life,” Sometimes a Fantasy,” and “Only the Good Die Young.”
The remainder of the show was a whirlwind of highlights, starting with a partial version of The Beach Boys’ “Surfin’ USA,” which led into a raucous “The River of Dreams” that sandwiched Ellie Greenwich’s “River Deep, Mountain High” and boasted the tremendous vocals of Crystal Taliefero. Guitarist Mike DelGuidice was the operatic vocalist for “Nessun Dorma” before Joel took back over for “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant.” Then came the iconic “Piano Man,” which had everyone in that crowd singing each word with their whole heart.
Friday night was an extra special evening for Joel, who explained to the crowd that the chorus teacher who historically persuaded him to become a musician was in the audience that night. With much nostalgia and joy in the air, a few more fan favorites came to close the night — “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” “Uptown Girl,” “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me,” and “Big Shot.” Just before the legend and his eight-piece band took their leave of the stage, Joel encored with a “You May Be Right” that featured a perfectly chosen interlude of Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll” to end a sensational, star-studded night.