Turning Madison Square Garden's hallowed concrete-and-steel edifice into the world's largest piano bar, Joel worked the audience with a sense of humor and musicianship making lounge lizards of us all. As troubadour, clown and balladeer Joel worked the emotional strings of the crowd weaving in tales of suburban life, acne scars and all into his own.

Bearded, portly and dressed in black, Joel quickly allayed the fears of those who plunked down the big bucks by pounding away on the piano in a style reminiscent of Jerry Lee Lewis, not Beethoven. Poking fun at the exorbitant ticket prices that started at $75 and spiraled to $999, Joel chimed, "I wouldn't pay that much to see Hendrix." With that, his well-oiled nine-piece band kicked the evening off with "Big Shot."

Billy Joel in concert, 12/31/99 photo by Glenn Emerstone © 2000 NY Rock

Mixing old and new, Joel covered all facets of his 30-plus years in the music biz from Piano Man (1973) to River of Dreams (1993). Relying on the 1976 and 1977 releases, Turnstiles and Stranger, for the majority of the set, Joel's songs of teenage angst, decadence, catholic guilt and love overshadowed the weaker frat-boy sing-along 1980's crud of "Allentown," "Pressure," and "Uptown Girl." "I Love These Days" took on a melancholic and anthemic quality with its call for "fine cocaine" and other assorted glories from a bygone era.

With the clock ticking, the nationally televised "We Didn't Start the Fire" followed. "And So it Goes" was next, bringing forth the countdown, the millennium, and the corny classic "Auld Lang Syne."

"River of Dreams" jump started the year 2000 and was followed by a medley of covers from Zeppelin to the Stones. Descending from beyond the drum throne, Liberty DeVito presented Joel with harmonica for the closer "Piano Man."

Locking arms and singing "Piano Man" with twenty thousand friends was quite a sight to behold, all brought together by Long Island-native Billy Joel. With the parting words of "Don't take shit from anyone" still reverberating over the P.A., the house lights were turned on and the crowd was let loose... into a city intact and laughing off the effects of Y2K.

January 2000