2008 Woodie Awards
Billy Joel Says Farewell to Shea
Lisa Riehman
Issue date: 8/27/08 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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On July 16th, Billy Joel held his first of two "Last Play at Shea" performances. Joel followed in the footsteps of many great rock bands that performed at Shea including, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Clash, Jethro Tull, Simon and Garfunkel, and The Police. This two-concert series was the last to be played at Shea before the stadium is demolished and replaced by Citi Field in 2009.
Throughout the show, images of famous moments in Mets history and pictures of New York landscape were displayed on the skyline-shaped screen behind the stage. Some members of the band wore New York Mets jerseys with lettering on the back "Billy Joel's Last Play at Shea," and one guitarist decorated his instrument with Mets emblems. Joel even played his own rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" which garnered cheers from the audience.
Prior to the show, there were rumors in the stands that Joel had invited guest stars to perform at the concert. After a few short melodies, Joel introduced his first of five guest stars, and invited Tony Bennett to join him on stage to sing "New York State of Mind." At 82, Bennett, a New Yorker from Astoria, did not impress anyone with his dance skills (he stood stagnant at one end of the stage) but had one of the best vocal performances of the evening.
Joel's next guests were some members of the New York City Fire and Police Departments and a few Cadets from the United States Military Academy. They joined him on-stage to sing back up vocals for "Goodnight Saigon," the most emotional and solemn song of the concert.
John Mayer was the third guest that Joel invited to the stage, and the performer who earned the most cheers from the younger audience members. He played guitar, which included an impressive solo, while Joel sang "This is the Time."
The next two guest stars have been around a lot longer than John Mayer, and you could tell but the strain of their voices. Don Henley and John Mellencamp each performed on stage (the audience took this time to use the restrooms) playing "Boys of Summer," a tribute to the New York Mets, and "Pink Houses."
The rest of the evening the crowd (or at least this member of the audience) waited for Paul McCartney to show up on stage, but he did not make his appearance until the second concert held on July 18th.
Joel made sure he paid homage to McCartney and The Beatles by playing "Please Please Me", "A Hard Day's Night", and "She Loves You" before he referred to Shea Stadium as The Beatles' stage.
Billy Joel, his band, and all of his guest performers offered a great tribute Shea. It might not have been the prettiest show ever played, but just like the stadium itself, was filled with memories.