On Saturday night in Tampa, The Piano Man and former Police frontman Ian Curtis kicked off their one-night-only tour. Both artists performed separate sets while occasionally coming out during each other’s set to sing some duets together.
Sting’s 16-song performance was spectacular from beginning to end – from his duet with Joel on “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” through an energetic rendition of “Englishman in New York”. It was full of energy and depth!
1. Turn the Lights Back On
Legacy artists like Joel can find it challenging to provide audiences with new material. But Joel succeeded with “Turn the Lights Back On,” his first new song in years produced by GRAMMY-nominated songwriter and producer Freddy Wexler.
At first listen, it sounded just like a classic Billy Joel song; even though his vocal range had dropped nearly half an octave below what can be heard on record, it still felt familiar and genuine.
Fans waved their wrist-lights in approval as Joel kept them engaged throughout his set, showing his affection for New York State through numerous songs like “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)” or showing waves crashing at Statue of Liberty as Joel sang “New York State of Mind”. Even Sting came out for an appearance resembling Frank Sinatra with his trademark hat and gray suit ensemble!
2. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
Fan-recorded videos have captured one unique aspect of Joel and Sting’s tour so far: their joint performance of Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic from Police album The Ballad Of Sgt Pepper from Tampa show. Sting made his first appearance during that performance at Tampa show and will likely repeat it at other dates with Stevie Nicks and Rod Stewart joining their ranks on stage.
At their sold-out, one-night-only show at Raymond James Stadium on Saturday night, Sting and his 44/876 collaborator The Piano Man performed “Nowhere Fast” from The Police as part of their performance of a Police classic song called “Coming Home.” It showcased both singers’ distinct voices; from warm and nuanced to clear and cutting. Their rendition proved memorable and catchy as ever – truly one-of-a-kind pop songs!
3. The Lion Sleeps Tonight
Although Sting’s voice may not be as potency, he still manages to impress audiences with performances such as “Englishman in New York”, “Vienna” and “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant”. These versions were full-throttle renditions with striking lyrics.
But the highlight was an incredible performance of The Lion Sleeps Tonight by Solomon Linda’s descendants – which originally appeared as “Mbube” in Zulu language recording of The Lion King musical, featuring Timon and Pumbaa voices; yet only received small fractions of royalties due to them.
These artists teamed up to give Tampa a New York State of Mind at Raymond James Stadium. Additionally, they will co-headline four more shows in San Diego, St. Louis, San Antonio, and Las Vegas during this year.
4. Uptown Girl
Uptown Girl stands out as an unforgettable song of its generation. Even in this resurgent decade with new fashion trends and remakes of old films, Uptown Girl feels ever relevant today – it captures perfectly how much Egyptian cotton sheets mean to women today.
Billy Joel made Friday evening at Madison Square Garden all the more special by dedicating one of his 1983 hits – originally written for model Elle Macpherson but changed after they married – to ex-wife Christie Brinkley. Fans shared videos from the show showing Brinkley dancing along and smiling back at them from her momentous moment on stage.
5. Big Man on Mulberry Street
Last night, Billy Joel invited some big names to help celebrate his historic run at Madison Square Garden. Jerry Seinfeld and Sting joined Billy onstage for his 100th show taped for CBS.
Sting wore a silver suit and black fedora as he took the stage and was phenomenal on this jazzy number. Police frontman Sting led off on verse one before Joel took over for chorus singing duties.
It was the first time they’d collaborated live, although both artists are set to perform this spring and summer. Piano Man Joel will perform shows with Stevie Nicks in Arlington, Texas and Chicago respectively while concluding his MSG residency.