Billy Joel to Close Shea Stadium

[Headache in a Suitcase]

http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/ny-etjoel125370675sep12,0,7562090.story?track=rss

Start planning, Billy Joel fans. The Piano Man is now set for two major honors that show not just the depth of his talent, but the breadth of his appeal.

Joel is set to be the final performer at Shea Stadium, doing a string of concerts there before its planned demolition after the 2008 Mets season, sources said yesterday. The Long Island Philharmonic also confirmed yesterday that it will honor Joel at its 30th annual gala as a longtime supporter of the orchestra and for his advocacy of music education.

No dates are set for Joel's Shea Stadium run, either. (Obviously, the Mets' playoff fortunes next year could factor into that.)

Joel has already played Yankee Stadium and captured that in the concert film "Live at Yankee Stadium" in 1990, but never Shea. The number of shows is also not set, though considering Joel holds the record for his 12 sold-out shows in a single run at Madison Square Garden, making him the first musician to ever have his "number" hang there, his run could last a while.

The last in a line of classics

Shea Stadium's first rock concert featured The Beatles in 1965. Other bands who have played there:

1970 Summer Festival for Peace (including Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix)

1976 Jethro Tull

1982 The Who

1983 Simon and Garfunkel

1983 The Police

1989 The Rolling Stones

1992 Elton John

1992 Eric Clapton

2003 Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

 

[one4u2]

 

[U2FanPeter]

Hendrix played Shea??

His official site says he cancelled his 1969 appearance at the venue.

 

[BonoIsMyMuse]

They should knock down any place after Billy Joel plays in it

 

[bollox]

am i tripping, or didn't the clash also play at shea?

and shea is getting torn in 2008? that's news to me. they are also shutting down yankee stadium in 2008. srsly nyc, what the fuck?

 

[zoney!]

I am trying to come up with some sort of "we didn't start the fire" but am only coming up with "if that's moving up, then Iiiiii'm Movin' Out"

 

[U2FanPeter]

am i tripping, or didn't the clash also play at shea?

and shea is getting torn in 2008? that's news to me. they are also shutting down yankee stadium in 2008. srsly nyc, what the fuck?

The Clash were on the bill with The Who in 1982. It's in the Clash documentary/DVD(without any mention of being the opening act)

Also, The Beatles played there in 1965 AND 1966. There was 11,000 empty seats in 1966.

 

[pepokiss]

wath abut teh U2!?!?!?!?!11111111@@@@

 

[U2FanPeter]

wath abut teh U2!?!?!?!?!11111111@@@@

U2 played other NYC area stadiums in 86/87/92/97

 

[Canadiens1131]

They should knock down any place after Billy Joel plays in it

 

[U2FanPeter]

They should knock down any place after Billy Joel plays in it

Maybe Billy can drive his car into the side of the stadium to help to demolition crew??

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

and shea is getting torn in 2008? that's news to me. they are also shutting down yankee stadium in 2008. srsly nyc, what the fuck?

giants stadium is getting knocked down in 2009. continental airlines will likely follow as both sport teams are moving out. there will be 5 new stadiums/arenas opening in the NYC metro area between now and 2010...

New Stadium (opening) / Old Stadium (opened)
CitiField (2009) - Queens / Shea Stadium (1964)
New Yankee Stadium - Bronx (2009) / Yankee Stadium (1923/1976)
New Giants/Jets Stadium - East Rutheford (2010) / Giants Stadium (1976)
Barclays Center - Brooklyn (2009) / Continental Airlines Arena - East Rutheford (1981)
Prudential Center - Newark (2007) / Continental Airlines Arena

there's also discussions about replacing Madison Square Garden and Nassau Coliseum as well, and the Red Bulls soccer team just recently completed a 10,000 seat stadium in Jersey, but not many people noticed because no one gives a shit about soccer.

i believe it's called progress, but i'm not sure.

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

Damn.

I understand why I guess, but then I think about it again and it just makes no sense to me whatsoever.

But then again Detroit has gotten three new venues in the past 20 years.

I'd love to see Billy Joel at Shea - hell, I'd love to see him at all.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

billy joel is the biggest musician to come out of the new york metro area in a long long time, so it's only fitting that he closes the place down.

if he can somehow get paul mccartney to join him on stage, to bring it full circle, that would be awesome.

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

Oops, should have clarified - I don't understand all the tearing down and building of new stadiums and arenas.

I totally get the Joel Factor.

 

[phanan]

I'd go to this.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Oops, should have clarified - I don't understand all the tearing down and building of new stadiums and arenas.

and not for nothing, shea's a dump. i love it 'cause it's my dump, but it's still a dump

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

America

I shouldn't say anything - Ford Field and Comerica Park, anyone?

Tiger Stadium was pretty run down through, and the Silverdome was a complete dump - forget about seeing a concert there, the sound was terrible (saw U2 and The Stones there).

It just sucks when buildings that have some historical signifigance get torn down. Oh well.

 

[MrPryck2U]

Well, all good things must pass.

Didn't Billy play Shea with Elton John at some point in time in the 1990's?

I saw the Stones play Shea in 1989 for the Steel Wheels tour. It was my first concert and it was fucking awesome! The Steel Wheels stage was huge and Mick Jagger worked it like an arena show.

Of course, U2 played THE Stadium, Yankee Stadium!

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

NEW YORK - Billy Joel will make "The Last Play at Shea" in a final concert at Shea Stadium on July 16.

The Piano Man will perform the night after baseball's All-Star game at Yankee Stadium, the Mets announced Thursday.

"It's an honor to help throw Shea the ultimate concert farewell party," said Joel, 58. "As a sports fan and a music lover, I will always have a place for Shea Stadium in my heart. I thank the Mets for giving me and my fans a chance to rock Shea Stadium one last time for the ages."

A new stadium, Citi Field, is to open for the 2009 season.

 

[MrPryck2U]

Hey, looks like Billy "roots" for both NY teams too. Hahaha.

When he played The Stadium back in 1990, he wore his Yankee gear.

How dare he.

 

[joyfulgirl]

Maybe Billy can drive his car into the side of the stadium to help to demolition crew??

Ok, that made me laugh.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

somehow i doubt that's his mets hat...

somehow jerry seinfeld needs to be involved in the final year of shea

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

Hey, looks like Billy "roots" for both NY teams too. Hahaha.

When he played The Stadium back in 1990, he wore his Yankee gear.

How dare he.

But he doesn't post in the sports forum and he's an internationally renowned musician so I'm guessing he's exempt.

Like I said when this was posted initially, I'd love to go see this.

All I need is my own teletransporter thingy that goes directly to NY.

 

[MrPryck2U]

But he doesn't post in the sports forum and he's an internationally renowned musician so I'm guessing he's exempt.

Like I said when this was posted initially, I'd love to go see this.

All I need is my own teletransporter thingy that goes directly to NY.

Yeah, I'm not even a world renowned prick.

 

[one4u2]

Must.Get.Tickets

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

NEW YORK, N.Y., February 19, 2008 - The New York Mets today announced that rock and roll icon Billy Joel has added a second - and final - show on Friday, July 18 in "The Last Play at Shea." Tickets for the final concert event in Shea Stadium history go on sale this Saturday, February 23 at 9:00 a.m. at www.507TIXX.com and by phone at (718) 507-TIXX. Citi cardmembers also will have access to purchase preferred seats through Citi's Private Pass® Program, available to all Citi cardmembers at www.privatepass.citi.com

Today's announcement follows the fastest concert sell out in Shea's 44-year history when more than 50,000 tickets sold on the Mets' www.507TIXX.com ticketing system powered by Paciolan in 48 minutes.

Billy Joel becomes the fourth artist to play multiple shows at Shea Stadium since its opening in 1964, joining Rock & Roll Hall of Famers the Beatles (1965, 1966), the Rolling Stones (1989), Elton John & Eric Clapton (1992), and Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (2003).

With his upcoming shows at Shea, Joel becomes the first artist in music history to have played all four of New York City's premier sporting venues: Shea Stadium, Yankee Stadium, Giants Stadium and Madison Square Garden, where, in April 2006, he broke the record for longest sequence of sold-out shows by a single artist (12).

The Mets will play their final regular season game at Shea, Sunday, September 28 against the Florida Marlins and move into Citi Field, their new home, in 2009.

new yorkers/long islanders and billy joel is like germans and david hasselhoff.

 

[U2FanPeter]

Paul Simon has played MSG/YANKEE/SHEA/GIANTS, although the only time I can recall off the top of my head of him playing at YANKEE wass to sing "where have you gone Joe DiMaggio" at a tribute/retirement/anniversary several years ago.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Paul Simon has played MSG/YANKEE/SHEA/GIANTS, although the only time I can recall off the top of my head of him playing at YANKEE wass to sing "where have you gone Joe DiMaggio" at a tribute/retirement/anniversary several years ago.

well there's a number of artists who have played at all 4 stadiums/arenas (national anthems, god bless america, ceremonys, tributes, etc.), i believe they mean billy joel is the first to stage full scale concerts at all 4.

i believe the only acts to play full scale concerts at yankee stadium are billy joel, u2 and pink floyd.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

if there was any doubt that billy joel is the most popular artist in the new york city area, i believe the prices that tickets for this shea show are going for put an end to that doubt.

http://www.stubhub.com/billy-joel-tickets/?event_id=579809


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