Billy Joel’s lengthy residency at Madison Square Garden turned into a massive birthday party this past Thursday.

I have attended many Billy Joel concerts through the years; young, old, with Elton John, large venues, at the Paramount in Huntington (could it really have been 2013?). You knew that this was not going to be an ordinary evening when MSG staff handed out “Happy Birthday Billy” cardboard hats and a variety of Joel baseball type souvenir cards in plastic casings as the crowd excitingly headed up the escalators. The band hit the stage at 8:20 with no opening act and the adoring, seemingly Long Island, audience were in a celebratory mood as Billy sang the soundtrack of the lives to many in the crowd. Video greetings from Pink, Brian Johnson, Don Henley and Paul McCartney were interspersed with the mostly familiar Billy Joel songs performed this night. A surprise guest performance at about the halfway point by Peter Frampton, who will be on a farewell tour this year, added to a joyful event. Mr. Joel’s daughter Alexa sang “New York State of Mind” with dad which led into a Happy Birthday singalong with his youngest daughter who joined the two onstage. There were no Springsteen or McCartney cameos as hoped, not even Howard Stern or Kevin James, but it was all fine. The night was a true celebration of a national treasure, and a seemingly good guy, who has never forgotten where he came from. It’s hard not to like Billy Joel; he’s one of the good guys. He cannot bound around on stage like he once could, but even at seventy it appears the show will go on for years to come.

It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me

Rock on!

GQ