Da Concert

[billroper]

Last night was the second of the two scheduled Elton John / Billy Joel concerts at Wrigley Field. It was fairly clear that I saw a different concert than the Tribune reviewer did. Or maybe I just like Billy Joel better than he does. I certainly appreciated Joel introducing the various members of the band.

And when it comes down to it, I simply like Joel's music better than John's. Not that there's anything wrong with either of them, it's simply a matter of personal taste. And when Billy Joel sings a song like "Allentown", I'm reminded that my grandfather was a coal miner all his life until he lost an eye to a continuous mining machine that threw a piece of rock and that my father, despite spending twenty years in the Air Force, was a coal miner both before and after that, although a member of management the second time around.

In any case, I'm glad I was able to hear them both.

Comments

[blaurentnv.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, it looks like I'm going to miss this tour. When they toured before, I took Jordi and she's been a Billy Joel fan ever since. The highlight of that concert, in my mind, was Elton John doing Piano Man.

[mbcrui.livejournal.com]

We saw them at the Rosemont (or whatever it's called now) a few years ago. Granted Elton was sick (and they'd canceled the first concert because Billy was sick) but our opinion was "Damn, Billy Joel puts on an EXCELLENT concert. Too bad it was interrupted by Elton once in a while." I liked that, for his encore, the crowd sang Piano Man to him :)

[ericcoleman]

Kot can be a little fussy ...

[gorgeousgary]

I think the Washington Post review came out similar. I also agree on Billy vs. Elton. I actually don't think I own an Elton John album. I own most of Billy Joel's and have caught at least five shows, plus the first Face-to-Face tour.

[scs-11.livejournal.com]

I liked Elton John a lot better when Bernie Taupin was writing all his lyrics and neither of them had quit drinking. Yeah, it was good they quit and it probably saved their lives. But they never again had quite the same chemistry (pun not intended). Billy Joel has been good from "Cold Springs Harbor" right up until but not including his classical piano.