PIANO MAN

I have seen The Piano Man in real life and now I can die happy.

Like almost every other vein of great music I'm addicted to, I was introduced to this guy by my fabulous parents. 

I mean, really. I have so many good memories. 

But one of my absolute favorites is remembering the times---I just feel like it happened more than once---where we would be coming back from Utah late at night, and all the younger kids had fallen asleep, and I happened to convince dad to hand over the musical reins and I remember putting Billy Joel on and just cruising, just hanging out and talking with my parents. 

I can't really put into words what his music means to me, but I will say this: 

when the lights finally came up

and the first few notes of "Miami 2017" were heard

and the man himself was sitting on stage, playing his piano

I got a little teary. 

It was, hands-down, one of the best performances I have EVER seen. 

Even at 65 my boy Billy's got some moves and, boy, can he SING. 

He played a fantastic set--complete with a "Viva Las Vegas" interlude in River of Dreams--and when he came back out for more, he proceeded to play a 5 or 6 set encore!!

There was a flawless performance of We Didn't Start the Fire with pictures detailing each subject on the big screen above Billy's head.

There was the moment when he brought out a Roadie, CHAINSAW, to scream an energetic cover of AC/DC's Highway to Hell while Billy rocked the guitar. 

There was an acknowledgment of the incredibly flawed Ballad of Billy the Kid. 

There was a little bit of Beethoven. 

There was a gorgeous--and tear-inducing--And So It Goes.

And there was the absolutely perfect sing-along of Piano Man.

I'm so ecstatic. This musical high could last for weeks, I think!

I don't know that I'm necessarily super picky about what concerts I go to, but I know for sure I wouldn't waste my money to see half the stuff that's "popular" these days, with little pop artists who can't actually sing their music that has no weight to it. (*cough* T Swift *cough*)

Give me The Piano Man any day, with his 65 year old hands flying across those keys. 

I just can't gush enough. 

I never thought I'd see him live. I've listened to his music for...forever, really, and have been in heaven with his Sirius XM radio channel right now, but with a career that has spanned whole decades and music eras, I never thought I'd be lucky enough to make it to a live performance of his. 

But I did. I got to see Billy Joel in concert with the two people who introduced me to his music.

The instant I heard he was coming to Vegas, I got online and bought 3 of the best tickets available--I was only a few months late and it was already nearly sold out!--then got on my phone and basically ordered my parents to be in Vegas this weekend, no excuses.

It was so fun. 

I really don't have much more to say about it.

Cuz all I could say on the drive back to Mom and Dad's hotel was "That was SO FUN."

So I'd inevitably just end up in a never-ending circle, repeating the same things over and over and over and over again. 

But I'm so happy. Such a brilliant, amazing, WORTHWHILE night. 

I'll remember this forever :)