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Of the three Billy Joel shows I've seen, I thought this was the best ever. Not only was Billy in a good mood, but the band sounded just plain incredible, and he was witty as usual.

Anyway the show was to start at 8 and we got into the arena at 7:55. Fortunately the show started late so we could relax for a bit. Billy opened with "Only The Good Die Young" and the hits just kept coming after that.

In between songs, he played around on the piano, singing a few Christmas Carols, making a few jokes and doing a few impressions. It was also thrilling to hear him do a few rare songs, like "Two Thousand Years" -- the namesake of the tour, and "Uptown Girl" which he rarely does live anymore, and "This is the Time," which, to my knowledge, he hadn't done live in years.

Of course he played the standards too, and those sounded great. The show ended with the usual, "Piano Man," and the crowd sang the last verse, and we made our way home for a three hour car ride.

Some of my favorites from the show:
  • "We're now at the point in the show where you're getting bored and you're starting to look around the arena and wondering, "Gee I wonder which of the band members are sleeping together . . . . Well I aint sayin' shit!"

  • "You know the last time I came here was with Elton John." [singing] "It's a little bit funny this feeling inside, I'm not one of those who can easily hide, I don't have much money . . . bullshit . . . but boy if I did, I'd buy a big house where we both could live"

  • Bad Elvis impersonations

  • Seeing a 15-year old Stik (long story, if you don't know him, don't ask)

  • He missed the lyrics on "Big Shot"

  • "You know, you people in the nose-bleeds are incredible. Its the middle of the Christmas season, you have to buy presents, but you went out to buy tickets to see me instead. Now I'm gonna go use your money to put my kids' presents under my Christmas tree."

    Set List

    Only the Good Die Young
    Movin' Out
    This is the Time
    Prelude / Angry Young Man
    Two Thousand Years
    Pressure
    Just the Way You Are
    My Life
    Goodnight Saigon
    Allentown
    I Go to Extremes
    Lullaby
    River of Dreams
    Uptown Girl
    We Didn't Start the Fire
    Its Still Rock n' Roll to Me
    You May Be Right
    Scenes From an Italian Restaurant
    Encore
    Big Shot
    Piano Man