Joel performs his classics with a Texas state of mind
Billy Joel played the hits, of course, Friday night at Toyota Center. His five-decade career includes some of the most recognizable tunes in the pop song canon: “My Life,” “New York State of Mind,” “Piano Man.”
That would have been enough for the sellout crowd. But Joel, 66, wasn’t content with straightforward nostalgia. He imbued his show with wit, humor and lots of Texas love.
He led the crowd through a bit of “Deep in the Heart of Texas” and referenced artists from the state throughout his set.
“There’s a lot of good musicians come from Texas,” he said.
He led his band through Buddy Holly’s “Peggy Sue,” Don Henley’s “Boys of Summer,” Sly and the Family Stone’s “Dance to the Music,” Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman” and Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart.”
“Last time I was here, it was with that other guy,” he quipped before launching into a spot-on impersonation of Elton John crooning “Your Song.”
He dedicated “The Entertainer” to presidential hopeful Donald Trump (“Today I am your champion/I may have won your hearts/But I know the game, you’ll forget my name/And I won’t be here in another year.”) He said he looked like his dad after catching a glimpse of himself on a screen. And he told the audience he keeps throat spray on stage for his vocal cords.
“I saw Madonna use this once. Didn’t really help her,” he said. “But she seemed to enjoy it.”
The mature crowd was as giddy as tweens at a boy band show. They snapped selfies, posted to Facebook and danced in the aisles. It was a sing-along from triumphant kickoff “Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway).”
Joel is in fine vocal form. He gave every song — “Vienna,” “Zanzibar,” “The Ballad of Billy the Kid,” “No Man’s Land,” “Allentown” — the urgency and attention it deserved. There was grit and power, nuance and tenderness when necessary.
And there was even swooning during “She’s Always a Woman.” Every aisle seemed to sway back and forth.