Billy Joel
Billy Joel rung in the new year in style, joining forces with Jason Bonham for a rendition of Led Zeppelin‘s “Whole Lotta Love”.
Performing at Long Island’s UBS Arena on Tuesday (Dec. 31), Joel’s end-of-year spectacular was a special for one for numerous reasons. Not only was the night preceded by Jason Bonham’s Led Zepellin Evening as the opener, but the lengthy set saw the veteran musician roll out plenty of fan favorites for the night, along with a few rarer tracks from his extensive into his back catalog.
While the seldom-heard 1982’s “A Room of Our Own” got a look-in, rarer still was a performance of 1974’s “Souvenir”, which received only its 13th showing from across the past 40 years.
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However, one of the most notable songs from the evening was one that wasn’t Joel’s own. Just over a third of the way through the set, Joel switched his focus to welcome Bonham and his band to the stage for a rendition of 1969’s “Whole Lotta Love”.
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“We’re going to bring a guest onstage and do this next song,” Joel said to the crowd. “We have fun playing this, especially with this guy. Please welcome Jason Bonham. You all know this song. It’s not a piano song.”
With Bonham performing drums on the song his father helped make famous more than five decades ago, Joel’s longtime guitarist and vocalist Mike DelGuidice sang lead on the track, relagting Joel to the background somewhat.
Hearing Joel perform “Whole Lotta Love” isn’t a rarity (in fact, he also performed it at his previous New Year’s Eve celebration at the same venue), and it seamlessly fit in amongst the rest of the set, which also featured renditions of The Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up”, and Derek and the Dominos’ “Layla”, which was used to fill time ahead of the midnight countdown.
The show also wrapped up a big year for Joel, who not only concluded his record-breaking ten-year Madison Square Garden residency (earning $266.7 million from 1.9 million ticket sales to 104 shows), but also released “Turn the Lights Back On” – his first new lyrical single in nearly 20 years.
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Billy Joel fans will get another chance to watch the Piano Man’s Madison Square Garden special, which will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+ on Friday (April 19).
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Citing a “network programming timing error,” CBS apologized for cutting the concert special short during its first airing on April 14 and announced that the special would re-air later this week.
“A network programming timing error ended last night’s Billy Joel special approximately two minutes early in the eastern and central time zones,” reads the statement, which Joel posted on X on Monday. “We apologize to Mr. Joel, his fans, our affiliated stations, and our audience whose viewing experience was interrupted during the last song. Due to the overwhelming demand from his legion of fans, BILLY JOEL: THE 100TH – LIVE AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN will be rebroadcast in its entirety on CBS on April 19th at 9 p.m. ET/PT.”
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Read on for ways to watch and stream the special.
How to Watch Billy Joel’s Madison Square Garden Special
Billy Joel: The 100th — Live at Madison Square Garden premieres Friday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. The two-hour special, celebrating Joel’s 100th show at the famed venue, will also stream live on Paramount+.
No cable? You can watch CBS and other networks on DirecTV, Sling TV, and Fubo TV. Additionally, Paramount+ with Showtime includes live access to CBS.
DirecTV and Fubo offer free trials – a nice option if you don’t want to pay out of pocket. Plans start at $69.99 for DirecTV Stream and $79.99 for Fubo. Both platforms include DVR recording and over 75 live channels, including sports and entertainment channels.
Sling TV’s streaming plans start at $20 for the first month to stream over 30 channels. Sling TV offers CBS in select regions.
Another free option: Paramount+ with Showtime is free for the first month and $11.99 per month, after the trial period ends. The platform combines Paramount+ and Showtime – which means double the streaming possibilities — and you have the option of streaming Paramount+ on Prime Video.
Joel resumed his Madison Square Garden residency in January. The final show is scheduled for July 25. Get tickets here.
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