Billy Joel delivers an amazing performance

PITTSBURGH − "I don't have anything new," Billy Joel reassured a PNC Park audience early in his Thursday concert. "We're gonna do some old (stuff)."

Laughs and cheers from 40,000 fans indicated that would be perfectly fine.

Joel already had started with the anthemic "My Life" and the pulsing "Pressure," and with the tone set, he and his highly skilled band tore through the rest of an 135-minute set of '70s and '80s hits and gems, delivering a performance pretty close to flawless.

Joel's voice sounded great, distinct, and full of range. He injected the occasional dramatic growl in a few tunes like "The Entertainer," and scaled impressive heights on "The Longest Time," "In The Middle of The Night" and "An Innocent Man."

After "Innocent Man," Joel said, "I'm always worried if I'm going to hit that high note. Because you'll know if I don't. It'll be a real cringe fest. And (people will) be like, 'Oh, he can't sing anymore.'"

Joel sang very well, and kept the lively banter and jokes coming.

After a "Just The Way You Are" that prompted couples to hold hands and lock eyes lovingly, Joel wisecracked "And then we got divorced," adding when it came to heeding romantic advice "don't listen to me." (He made a similar wisecrack at his Civic Arena concert 20 years ago, but like his songs, his jokes age well.)

Joel thanked Linda Ronstadt for convincing him to release such a "chick"-sounding single, adding "I had a major crush on her."

The crowd took it upon itself to light up their cellphones for "Just The Way You Are," making America's Most Beautiful Ballpark look even prettier on a picture-perfect night.

Joel supplied album titles and occasional back stories before many selections, such as the horn-powered, deep-cut "Zanzibar" he noted was from the "52nd Street Album." He mentioned "The Entertainer" was off 1974's "Streetlife Seranade," a forgotten album he joked even he doesn't own.

The show felt loose, as the band looked surprised but quickly responded when Joel warmed up for "Longest Time" by singing a few verses of the folk classic-turned-1960s-doo-wop hit "The Lion Sleeps Tonight."

The band added the "a-weem-a-wehs."

Band members such as Mark Rivera on sax, Dave Rosenthal on keys and Carl Fischer on horns added zesty seasoning at ideal volumes. Fischer's horn-playing evoked jazz great Dizzy Gillespie on "Zanzibar."

Of course, Joel is still "the Piano Man" nimbly tickling the ivories of his slowly revolving piano. Standout moments came on a wonderfully raucous "Only The Good Die Young," and in "Don't Ask Me Why," where the jumbotrons gave a birds-eye view of his fingers gliding across his piano.

Those gigantic video screens showed the Manhattan skyline at night for a potent "New York State of Mind" energized by Rivera's sax.

Joel didn't need to tweak the lyric for the "Pennsylvania we never found" part of the still-politically-relevant post-industrial song "Allentown."

And he kept bringing the smiles steeped in iconic songs and memories. From the audience waving goodbye to doomed newlyweds Brenda and Eddie in "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant," to fans mimicking the "heart attack (ack, ack, ack, ack, ack)" moment of "Movin' Out," there was fun and non-intrusive crowd participation.

Everyone sang along, lamenting Davy still in the Navy, during "Piano Man," which Joel handled perfectly by letting the crowd sing alone on one verse near the end.

Couples held hands and swayed some more for "She's Always a Woman," the beginning of which featured Joel solo accompanied by flute.

Drummer Chuck Burgi stood out on the lively "The Ballad of Billy The Kid." At song's end, Joel amusingly pointed out the many historical falsehoods he purposely laced throughout the lyrics. (No, the legendary gunslinger didn't hail from a town known as Wheeling, W.Va.).

"The River of Dreams" bookended a cover of "Dancin' In The Street" showcasing the strong voice of backup singer Crystal Taliefero. Another vocalist, Michael Delguidice, earned hearty applause for his rendering of an Italian opera song that set the table for "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant."

"I ain't no Mick Jagger," the 73-year-old Joel said, though he prowled the stage like an earnest lounge singer for "The Longest Time," and was back on his feet, strumming an electric guitar for the encore launcher "We Didn't Start The Fire." Video images accented each of the four decades worth of historical/pop-culture references in "We Didn't Start The Fire." (The "heavy metal suicide" line showed the cover of Ozzy Osbourne's "Blizzard of Ozz" album.)

Joel's encore had the stadium's floor fans dancing, including the ladies wearing "Uptown Girl" sashes. Though it was good to see so many 20-somethings in the crowd, too.

All ages savored a finale of "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me," the feisty "Big Shot" and the carefree "You May Be Right."

Another concert-of-the-year contender.

Setlist

My Life

Pressure

The Entertainer

Just The Way You Are

Zanzibar

An Innocent Man

The Longest Time

Don't Ask Me Why

New York State of Mind

Allentown

Vienna

Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)

She's Always a Woman

The Ballad of Billy The Kid

Only The Good Die Young

Sometimes a Fantasy

The River of Dreams (interspersed with Dancin' In The Street)

Nessun Dorma sung by Michael Delguidice

Scenes From an Italian Restaurant

Piano Man

ENCORE

We Didn't Start The Fire

Uptown Girl

Still Rock 'n Roll to Me

Big Shot

You May Be Right

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This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Billy Joel & band deliver an amazing performance