Thank You Billy

It's 11:45 pm on a Sunday night as I write this - I'm sitting at the desk of a hotel room in New York City as my son drifts off to sleep. We just got back from Madison Square Garden where for well over two hours, we smiled and sang our hearts out at Billy Joel's concert.

A little history - I've seen Billy Joel in concert multiple times before tonight - the first two times was with my mom, who also liked Billy Joel. It was magical as a kid to see Joel in concert - his piano playing, his amazing band and his ultimate showmanship.

It was time to continue the tradition.

So, my son and I boarded a train in DC at 6:00 this morning, arrived in New York City and wandered with no real destination (well - eventually our hotel). We admired the architecture, ate New York style pizza and soaked it all in. Then after a brief power nap, we headed off to Madison Square Garden.

Joel has played the Garden more than 140 times, and keeps selling it out. And it was easy to see why.

Shortly after 8:00 pm, the lights went down and out came Joel and his amazing band. Kicking off with "A Matter of Trust", we knew we were in for something special. It took me back to the times I had seen Joel perform. I sang along to every song and looked at my son's reactions. He was enthralled. Singing along to songs I didn't realize he knew!

The fourth song into the set is how I see Billy Joel now. Gone is the man who runs around the stage or lays on top of his piano or hits the high notes of his youth. The song was "The Entertainer" and that's just what he is. Funny, charming, and a guy who leads a band through 27 songs with such fun and such grace.

Other favorites for us included "The Downeaster Alexa", "New York State of Mind" and the rarely performed "No Man's Land".

By the time the final notes rung out on "You May Be Right" and he thanked the crowd, I looked over at my son who simply said, "Thank you Billy".

We walked back to our hotel and talked about it all - not only how great Joel was, but the staging and light show and his phenomenal band, especially multi-instrumentalist Crystal Taliefero-Pratt and saxophonist (and longtime Joel collaborator) Mark Rivera.

I hope this is one of many times he and I can see Billy Joel in concert. There were so many multi-generational families there - it warmed my heart and not only brought back great memories, but created a brand new one. One I will never forget.