Two weeks from now Billy Joel will wrap up some of the legendary residencies in music historical past. The Lengthy Island native will play his one hundred and fiftieth and ultimate present at Madison Sq. Backyard on July 25 when he performs the final observe of a run that formally kicked off in January 2014 and has had the “Piano Man” enjoying the historic venue as soon as a month on his technique to setting the document for essentially the most lifetime MSG performances by any artist.
Joel, 75, sat down with Willie Geist for an interview slated to air on Sunday TODAY (July 14) by which the Rock and Roll Corridor of Famer opens up about his emotions on the eve of the anticipated finale. “Properly, I’m type of unhappy that it’s ending,” Joel says of the collection that has bought greater than 1.6 million tickets thus far. “You understand, 10 years in Madison Sq. Backyard is past my desires as a musician. We have been the home band for 10 years on the Backyard, which I believe is one of the best efficiency venue on this planet.”
And Joel would know, since he’s been pounding the white and blacks on his child grand all around the globe for greater than 5 a long time. “I’ve performed all types of stadiums, arenas, coliseums, theaters, the Backyard is one of the best sound,” he says of the 19,500-capacity area. “And it’s in New York, which is normally a loopy viewers and so they make lots of noise and we’ve enjoyable.”
Now, to be clear, Joel says that the top of the run doesn’t imply he’ll by no means play MSG once more, simply that this seemingly unbeatable document string of exhibits is reaching its pure finish. Plus, Joel says, 150 seems like a “good spherical quantity” to bow out on. When he kicked the residency off greater than a decade in the past, Joel tells Geist he by no means imagined it might final this lengthy, assuming there could be a peak after which a gradual eventual decline.
“However that hasn’t occurred, they’re shopping for extra tickets just lately than they have been at the start,” he says of the sold-out exhibits, noting that he might have simply saved going, however that after a decade he felt prefer it was “all proper already.”
With Geist noting that Stub Hub says the ultimate present is among the hottest tickets on the town this summer season, he questioned if Joel is having second ideas about hanging it up. “Yeah, lots of second ideas,” Joel says. “It’s type of unhappy as a result of we might have saved going however I didn’t need to outstay my welcome.”
Joel — who launched his first new pop music in 17 years, “Flip the Lights Again On” in February — has a stadium gig in Denver on Friday evening (July 12) earlier than his ultimate MSG curtain name, adopted by stadium exhibits within the UK, Cleveland, St. Louis, Los Angeles, San Antonio and Las Vegas that can hold him busy by way of November.
Try a preview of the interview right here and watch the complete chat on Sunday At this time on Sunday.
