100 Concerts / Concert #10

Headline Act: Billy Joel

Touring Album: The Bridge

Opening Act: none

Date: February 27, 1987

Venue: Sun Dome, Tampa, FL
Ticket price:  $17.50

Here Comes The Sun Dome.

Another concert, another short road trip from Gainesville. Along with my friends, we traveled to Tampa for my second Billy Joel show, this one in support of "The Bridge". The concert site was the Sun Dome on the campus of the University Of South Florida, one of the most inaccurately named universities in the country. Tampa may be south of Orlando, but no one would say it is in South Florida. Can we get a name change please?

You probably know I worship the Billy Joel catalog (see my previous love letter, um, prior post about my strong feelings for his music). Having said that, "The Bridge" is probably the weakest album of his career.

A few songs do stand out, however. One of my favorites is "Big Man On Mulberry Street", a big-band swing piece. It feels like it would have been perfect for a young Frank Sinatra. I'm a sucker for big horn sections. The old-school styled song wasn't destined to be a radio hit, but it found a TV audience when it was featured in a dream sequence of "Moonlighting" with Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd. 

"Getting Closer" is a hidden gem that features a Hammond organ solo by the ageless Steve Winwood, one of Joel's musical heroes. Lyrically, it's a scathing commentary about those around him who contributed to his financial woes. Check out a couple of the verses:

I went searching for the truth but in my innocence I found

All the con men and their acrobats who stomped me in the ground 

If I count up their percentages I know they're getting rich

But they haven't taken everything, those paybacks are a bitch

I'm a mark for every shyster from Topanga to Berlin
And I should have learned to kick them out as soon as they crawled in
So to every bank in Switzerland that stores my stolen youth
I'm all right because despite the laws you cannot hide the truth

Slave To The Traffic Light: Steve Winwood

Celebrity and the perils of show business are recurring subject matters for Billy, this tune is a companion piece for "Everybody Loves You Now" (1971), "The Entertainer" (1974), "Big Shot" (1980) and later "Great Wall Of China" (1993).

Along with Winwood, Cyndi Lauper also appears on "The Bridge", she shares songwriting credit and harmonies on "Code Of Silence". But of all the collaborations, it's "Baby Grand" that is most memorable. Billy wrote the give-and-take duet expressly for his idol, the legendary Ray Charles. It must have been a dream come true for Billy to record. In Charles' voice it's a heartbreaker with lyrics that feel authentic.

I've come far from the life I've strayed in
I've got scars from those dives I've played in
Now I'm home and I'm weary
In my bones every dreary one night stand
But my baby grand is coming home with me

 
Billy's affection for Charles was so strong that he named his daughter, Alexa Ray, in his honor.Critics may describe the song as schmaltzy or corny, but Billy never worried about those types of reactions. I think it's one of the best songs of Joel's last few albums.

As for some of the other songs on the subpar album, "Modern Woman" was a pop throwaway, featured on the movie soundtrack for "Ruthless People". "A Matter Of Trust" was a modest hit with frequent MTV rotation, but in my opinion it's one of the least memorable singles of his remarkable career."This Is The Time" became a staple of proms and yearbooks, but held up against Billy's catalog it's not nearly as memorable as the haunting "Souvenir" from "Streetlife Serenade". 

"Ruthless People", Danny DeVito & Bette Midler

Bridge to nowhere?

Regardless of the album (or the lack of a new album since 1993), Billy never disappoints his fans in concert. Our seats were in the upper deck of the Sun Dome, which is nearly identical to Gainesville's O'Connell Center. We were seated behind the stage, looking at the backs of Billy and his band for much of the show.  But in one memorable moment ("Sometimes A Fantasy"), Billy rotated his stand-up keyboard around 180 degrees and played while facing those of us in the back of the house. It was a simple move, but one that changed the feeling of the show for me. Even there in the upper reaches of an arena, we felt connected to his performance.

Billy Joel composed some of the most memorable music of the 20th century. He's been an eloquent poet who has written songs about love and heartbreak and social commentary on a variety of topics.With all of that talent, all his command of language, he ends almost every concert by giving his audience one final piece of advice: "Don't take any shit from anybody!". Billy never does.

Unofficial setlist: A Matter Of Trust, Pressure, You're Only Human (Second Wind), Piano Man, Scenes From An Italian Restaurant, Allentown, Goodnight Saigon, Summer, Highland Falls, Prelude / Angry Young Man, Don't Ask Me Why, Big Man On Mulberry Street, Baby Grand, An Innocent Man, The Longest Time, Only The Good Die Young, It's Still Rock And Roll To Me, Sometimes A Fantasy, You May Be Right,  (Encore) Uptown Girl, Keeping The Faith, Big Shot