At one point between songs he explained a little more about it. Joel’s trademark snarky Long Island sense of humor was in full display throughout the evening, which is always part of the proceedings during his shows.įor example, Joel kept a spray bottle for his throat handy near his piano. Joel and his eight-member backing band then launched into the energetic “My Life,” which was followed by his 1982 hit “Pressure.” Joel’s piano was situated at center stage, but it would frequently rotate in a full circle so that he could share face time with all sides of the arena. Joel’s intro song was the theme from “The Natural,” which pretty much served as a statement for what was to follow. While Joel’s visage may have changed somewhat over the past decade, his keyboard virtuosity and overall entertainment factor remain at near peak performance - as evidenced by a 25-song showcase over the course of two hours and 20 minutes.
“What the hell happened to him?” Joel cracked after his second song. Joel joked about the passage of time, playing off what he envisioned audience members might be making of his current appearance. 29, 2007, at the very same venue (although it was called the Delta Center back then). The ever-dependable Piano Man returned to Vivint Smart Home Arena on Wednesday night, 10 years to the day from his last solo appearance in Utah - which was Nov. Billy Joel is such a steady performer, it turns out, that you can set your decades by him.