Backstage Pass

Billy Joel spring training kicked off at the Mohegan Sun Arena Friday night, as he prepares to transform his current roadshow into two historic concerts in July that will go down as the final musical performances at Shea Stadium.
    During his 10-show, six-week run at Mohegan Sun, Joel plans to test out some new approaches to his songs for the Shea concerts on July 16 and 18. He will then head to Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, Penn., to work on the sound and logistical issues of performing a stadium-sized show.
    Joel readily points out that he’s not the usual stadium act with a big, special-effects-filled show or lots of movement – he is the Piano Man, after all – so to set the Shea shows apart, it will have to be through his music.
    At Friday night’s sold-out concert, Joel’s set already had subtle differences from  his record-setting, sold-out run at Madison Square Garden in 2006, captured in his “12 Gardens” live CD – some changes in phrasing in “My Life,” a more rock-oriented arrangement for “It’s Still Rock ‘n’ Roll to Me,” the pairing of “The Downeaster ‘Alexa’” and “Allentown,” two songs about working-class struggles.
    Of course, one thing that won’t change is Joel’s onstage banter. “I’m from right across the bay on Long Island,” he told the Connecticut crowd as a matter of introduction, “you probably know us as your barrier beach.”
    And when the mention of his 1974 album “Streetlife Serenade” drew a huge response as Joel introduced the song “Zanzibar,” he rolled with it, saying, “Thank you, that’s more people than ever bought the album.”

SETLIST: Angry Young Man / My Life / The Entertainer / The Downeaster “Alexa” / Allentown / Zanzibar / New York State of Mind / Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song) / Keeping the faith / Don’t Ask Me Why / She’s Always a Woman / Captain Jack / River of Dreams / Highway to Hell (sung by Chainsaw) / We Didn’t Start the Fire / It’s Still Rock ‘n’ Roll to Me / You May Be Right / ENCORE: Scenes from an Italian Restaurant / Only the Good Die Young

PHOTO: Joel and jersey by James Carbone for Newsday

As expected, Billy Joel has added a second concert at Shea Stadium. The new Friday, July 18 date is being billed as the final date of Joel's "Last Play at Shea," making this the actual, for-really last concert there.

Tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. Saturday at www.507tixx.com. The first Joel concert at Shea sold out in 48 minutes, a stadium record.

PHOTO: PomoMusings.com 

Shut out of Billy Joel's now sold-out "Last Play at Shea" on July 16? Well, an army of ticket re-sellers have lined up to help you out. For a price, natch.

Tickets over at StubHub top out at a ridiculous $99,215 apiece in a section near the dugout. Floor seats are up to $20,000 apiece. Not happening? Good for you.

Over at Ticketmaster's auction site, the bidding for floor seats is a (relatively speaking) more reasonable $910 apiece. And at StubHub and Craigslist, there are lower-priced options farther away from the stage.

Of course, you could just wait to see if Joel and The Mets decide to add more shows. Shea Stadium is scheduled to be empty between July 14 and July 21. Even if Joel doesn't play shows back-to-back, that means there's enough time for two more shows and a day to repair the field in time for the Mets home game against the Phillies on July 22.

Joel said at a recent press conference that the decision on more shows would be made based on demand for tickets. Selling out Shea in an hour probably qualifies for strong demand, no? Stay tuned.

PHOTO: Joel and jersey by James Carbone for Newsday

Billy Joel's classic album "The Stranger" featuring the hits "Just the Way You Are," "Movin' Out" and "Only the Good Die Young" will be inducted into The Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008, alongside a slate of other "recordings of significance" that include everything from Arturo Toscanini's 1953 recording of "Verdi: Otello" to The Police's "Roxanne" and the John Coltrane Quartet's "Ballads" album.

"The Stranger," released in 1977, was the album that turned Joel into a superstar. It sold more than 10 million copies, even holding the title of Columbia Records best-selling album in history until 1985, and landed him his first Grammy awards record and song of the year honors for "Just the Way You Are." The album, his first collaboration with producer Phil Ramone, was not only a commercial success, but an artistic one as well, featuring "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" and "Vienna."

Recorded works are eligible for The Grammy Hall of Fame 25 years after their release and are seen to have significantly impact musical history, said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. "This year's inductees span nine decades and represent a diverse array of genres from classical and show tunes to blues, jazz and rock and roll," Portnow said in a statement. "They exemplify the best qualities that make the recording arts such a vital part of our culture and each not only uniquely reflects the zeitgeist of its time, but also possesses the enduring power of transcending time."

The inductees -- which also include Michael Jackson's "Thriller," The Beatles' "Help!" and Prince's "1999" -- will be recognized as part of the 2008 Grammy Awards broadcast on Feb. 10.

Billy Joel featuring Cass Dillon, "Christmas in Fallujah"

Billy Joel’s “Christmas in Fallujah,” only the second song he has completed since switching his focus from pop music to other types of composition in 1993 after the "River of Dreams" album, hit iTunes this morning and, well, it’s OK.

There are plenty of reasons that make the song hard to criticize. It’s sung by Cass Dillon, a Long Island newcomer, not Joel. Proceeds from the single go to Homes For Our Troops, a nonprofit that builds specially adapted homes for service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with severe disabilities. And its message about supporting our troops, especially during the holidays, is an important one.

Joel said he wrote “Christmas in Fallujah” earlier in this year after receiving letters from men and women serving in Iraq saying how they had found inspiration and comfort in his songs. However, he didn’t think he was the right person to sing the song. “I thought it should be somebody young, about a soldier’s age,” Joel said in a statement. “I wanted to help somebody else’s career. I've had plenty of hits. I’ve had plenty of airplay. I’ve had my time in the sun. I think it’s time for somebody else, maybe, to benefit from my own experience.”

That said, it’s no “Goodnight Saigon” and, as unfair as it may be, any pop song Joel releases these days will be compared with his previous work – even if he isn’t the one singing it. Lyrically, “Christmas in Fallujah” captures despondency and frustration well, though that doesn’t exactly make it inspirational. Musically, it owes more to latter-day Nirvana than a classic Joel rocker.

For Dillon, the association with Joel should land more attention for his “A Good Thing Never Dies” EP, though his songs “Sliding” and “Lack of Game” probably offer better examples of what the promising 21-year-old singer-songwriter can do.

It wasn't music that got sparks flying between Billy Joel and Katie Lee.

"Food brought us together," Katie Lee Joel said on the red carpet at last week's Save the Music Foundation Gala.

And now she's getting ready to let people in on some of her culinary secrets. Joel said she just finished the photo shoot for her first cookbook, tentatively titled "Katie's Comfort Table," due out in May for Simon and Schuster.  

Among the recipes are Billy's favorites: peach cobbler and meatloaf. (She adds that The Piano Man makes an excellent spaghetti bolognese and strip steak.)

Joel said they have just started renovations on their new house in Sagaponack and that they won't be able to move in for about a year. They'll continue to stay at the house in Sag Harbor in the meantime when they're out east.

Joel said she and Billy work well together. "I think we complement each other," she said.

"Obviously, there's a big age difference," she said, laughing. "But he's very immature and I'm very mature, so  we meet in the middle."

PHOTO: Billy and Katie Lee Joel at the "Entourage" premiere in June. (Peter Kramer/Getty Images) 

We've fondly dubbed him The Piano Man, The Angry Young Man and even The Stranger, but now we can give Billy Joel yet another nickname: Master Builder.

Joel will soon become the tenth annual recipient of the Master Builder award, given by the New York State Office of Parks to individuals who "demonstrate an uncommon ability to get things done," according to a Parks press release. He's not the first Long Islander to get the award -- Sarah Hughes is also a past recipient.

Joel is being recognized for his efforts to protect "Long Island's historic maritime industries," which means he's an avid boater and has donated money to help local fishermen. (He even wrote the song "The Downeaster Alexa" about the baymen on the East End.)

A gala in Joel's honor (black-tie optional) will be held Oct. 11 at Bethpage State Park's Carlyle on the Green restaurant. Tickets are $500 per person or $6,000 for a table of twelve. For tickets call the Long Island State Parks office at 631-321-3403.

And who's the evening's entertainment? Not Joel but a tribute band called Glass Houses, led by Henry Haid, who played piano in the Broadway run of Joel's musical "Movin' Out."

Long Island's best-known resident was in a generous mood Friday night, showing up unannounced at a free concert in Huntington and promising to donate a piano to a local arts group.

Full story here.