Last Play at Shea: From the Beatles to Billy Joel

As far as musical experiences go, Wednesday, July 16^th, may have been the nail in many fans' concert-going coffins. What they had witnessed was outstanding and at the time, who could fathom how it could get much better? Certainly, all were expecting a night of damn good music. Little did they know, they were gravely mistaken. It was a night of phenomenal performances befitting a long goodbye to such an historic stadium. And on Friday, July 18^th, it was not only matched, but outdone, as concerts at Shea Stadium was laid to rest forever.

It was immediately noticeable that something special was going on. The roadways to Shea were packed and the LIRR was congested and slow going. Finally pulling into Shea Stadium, the witnesses to history shuffled among the throngs of people across the platform or parking lot and towards the arena. For train riders, there was a long boardwalk of old wooden beams that lead the way to the home of the Amazin' Mets. It was a sight to see. The old Shea Stadium, in all its blue, orange and white glory, was still standing for a bit longer, while in its shadow, the new brown Citifield lingered.

All spectators received a plastic card that was shaped like a backstage pass, but was an advertisement for the 30^th anniversary package of "The Stranger" album. On the reverse side was a code that allows you to download a free song (Movin' Out(Anthony's Song),) played at the concerts, to be used after the 22^nd of July. Nostalgic feelings surfaced for both those who had faithfully come to watch the New York Mets at their little stadium in Queens throughout the years, and also for those who had always meant to catch a ball game here and there, but never found the time. The well-intentioned procrastinators could surely understand and empathize with fans who did have those memories, though they did not.

Conveniently, concession stands were located at every level of the seating sections. Inconveniently, everything was very expensive. While prices were high, spirits were higher. A sense of awe hung in the humid air. Watching the sports arena slowly fill up to capacity, with the exceptions of a few sections blocked off, the fans kept pouring in and awaited the rock symphony about to take place. The stage was surrounded by four monstrous screens, two on either side, separated by a large New York silk screen poster. Planes kept flying loudly overhead to and from LaGuardia Airport, but the noise would not be disruptive in the least, as they were no competiton to the sound system during the performances.

At 8:40 pm the instrumental melody began and the buzz heightened with frenetic energy. The music stopped, and a deep, booming voice came over the loud speaker:

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please rise for our National Anthem."

The audience stood and exploded, as Billy Joel unassumingly appeared on stage, in his patent black t-shirt and black blazer. Joel calmly walked to his piano, and sang "The Star Spangled Banner." It would have been funnier and louder, had the National Anthem announcement be followed by one of Joel's tried and true tunes, however, it was apropos to begin the end of an all American venue with an ode to our country.

Billy began singing his own catalog, starting with "Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway)," as the screens came to life behind him with the city's skyline flashing in colors. The audience ate up the lines of "we held a concert out in Brooklyn," (though we were in Queens), and boos followed "they sent a carrier out from Norfolk to pick the Yankees up for free." (After all, it is the home of the Mets.) He changed the next line to "they said the Mets could play a final game at Shea," and it was met with wondrous applause.

Joel was finally shown on screen, as the cameras zoomed in on Billy's hands beating the piano on "Prelude/Angry Young Man." Always a crowd pleaser, it did not disappoint. He played a little "Yankee Doodle" afterwards, which flowed right into "My Life." Once the opening numbers were done, he addressed the stadium.

He welcomed everyone and said "this is where New York meets Long Island!" There were shouts of joy from the crowd, as he went on to say, "Geographically, we ARE on LONG ISLAND!" This was greeted with another explosion of cheers. He went on to apologize to those who had bought tickets to Wednesday night's show thinking that it was going to be the last concert at Shea. Jeers followed that statement. He explained that they wanted to accommodate people who weren't able to get tickets because they had sold out so fast. (A Stadium record, tickets flew out in 45 minutes.) He asked the Mets organization for another date and Friday it was. (Thinking about it, if the only date available was Monday, then Wednesday would have been the real final show. It makes sense. Unfortunately, it turned out the date was Friday. Promoters should have foreseen this problem, though, and not label it the Last Play At Shea. It was a major league foul on their part.)

Then he said, "What can we do? They don't enforce the scalper laws in this state." A round of applause followed that statement.

He soothed the cranky grouching by saying, "We are the last act to play at Shea." Point taken, but still not the same for ticket holders attending only Wednesday night.

"Out of curiosity, how many of you are Met fans?" Thunderous applause boomed in response.

"How many of you are Yankee fans?" Here, the reaction was muddled. While the Yankee fans cheered, the home team devotees bombarded the Yankee supporters with a great round of distasteful boos. (How nervy that some people had the 'balls' to wear Yankee shirts and caps! It was as if they were passive-aggressively saying, 'I'm only here because of Billy Joel, so up yours Mets!' Unbelievable; you gotta love New York!)

"And how many just don't give a sh*t?" A meek, weak, but honest response joined in.

He then launched into "Everybody Loves You Now." Before singing "The Entertainer," he said how ironic it was that he hadn't put out a new album in over 15 years and yet here he is, at Shea Stadium, and though it was about to be torn down, he was still here.

After the song, he apologized again to the audience and said, "For those of you who can't see me, you're not missing much. I'm 6'4", I look like a cross between Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, and I have long flowing locks." And he shook his head, tossing back an imaginary mane off his shoulders, to the amusement of the audience.

He warned the people not to go anywhere during the next song, because it was a good one. He lied; it was a great one. The jazz-inspired "Zanzibar" played as a baseball montage flickered across the screens. After "Allentown" there was a quiet moment as he explained he had wanted to write a Western long ago, but no one offered him the gig, leading to the birth of the next opus. He was about to play "The Ballad of Billy the Kid" when he was interrupted by a plane roaring its engine in the night time sky. Without skipping a beat, Joel looked up and said, "That plane's going west!" The planes were seemingly floating in silence, as the sound in the Stadium drowned out all offensive noises.

A love song to the Empire State followed. Billy sang the first verse of "New York State of Mind" and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Mr. Tony Bennett!"

The audience burst into a higher gear than before. There's Tony Bennett, with his classic Italian face and his suave white suit with a light blue shirt, onstage singing with Billy Joel! The two legends traded verses and each time Tony would finish singing "I'm in a New York state of mind," he would throw his arms in the air in a welcoming embrace. Bennett finished the duet and left. "Big Man On Mulberry Street" kicked in afterwards. The next one came with a disclaimer.

"If you have to go to the bathroom, now's a good time, because we're probably gonna screw this one up!" He most certainly did not, and fans were treated to one of Joel's first instrumentals from his early years off of the 'Streetlife Serenade' album, "Root Beer Rag." "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" followed. The choppers on "Goodnight Saigon" were so threatening that one could have sworn helicopters were about to land on the field at any minute. He was joined onstage by members of the NYPD, FDNY, and military to join in on the chorus. It was, as always, beautiful.

He sang "Don't Ask Me Why" and said how the subsequent song was played at many proms but he didn't go to his because he never graduated. (He did quiet well for himself nonetheless, don't you think?) John Mayer came out to solely play guitar on the tearjerker song and then snuck off. The mood went upbeat for "Keeping The Faith;" images of the 1950s and 1960s whizzed by. He stated how the "Downeaster Alexa" was written for the disappearing fishing communities of places like Oyster Bay and Shelter Island, while boats floated across the screen.

Billy stood in front of a microphone and sang a verse and chorus of "Stand By Me", before sliding into an "Innocent Man." Another special guest came out as Billy dedicated the next number to the baseball players. Don Henley sang and played guitar to his hit, "Boys of Summer." The images changed from black and white to color as it switched from shots of Henley and a collage of baseball moments; it was a nice dedication to the sport of baseball.

Billy sang the ballad, "She's Always A Woman," where the guitarist was shown to have Shea and New York Mets on his guitar. "Captain Jack" followed with psychedelic images. "Lullabye (Goodnight My Angel)" was of course brilliant, and was partnered with its mate, "River Of Dreams." In the long break towards the end, the band paused and declared that it was "A Hard Day's Night." There's a reason that the Beatles, and legendary artists like Billy Joel, remain a cherished favorite! After the first of the Beatles tribute, he sailed right back to his own classic and finished up his "River Of Dreams."

Throughout the night, he introduced his core band members: Tommy Byrnes/guitar, Mark Rivera/saxophone, Crystal Taliefero/percussion, Dave Rosenthal/keyboards, Andy Cichon/bass, Carl Fischer/trumpet and Chuck Burgi/drums. When he introduced Crystal, he gave credit to his next guest for finding her first, and out pops John Mellencamp to sing "Pink Houses." His performance was energetic and bursting with life; Mellencamp seemed to be feeding off of the stadium's aura and was well received. It's no wonder really; both Joel & Mellencamp worked their way up and sing to the heart and soul of blue-collar America. Mellencamp threw in a line about gas prices being high as images of the flag waved.

The rock vibe continued with "We Didn't Start The Fire;" digital flames danced in the distance during the chorus and pictures of the lyrics, depicting an era gone by, were shown. The crowd was especially jazzed over the line, "British Beatle Mania." (They did start it all!) "It's Still Rock N Roll To Me" played with colored clips of his old video, when he was young, spry and had a full head of thick, curly hair. "You May Be Right" finished the Billy Joel portion of the standard show, and he threw in another Beatles classic, "Please, Please Me," before exiting the stage.

Naturally, that's not how the concert ended at all. He came out for his encore and began with "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant." A red and white checkered grid, red and green colors, shots of a restaurant and a waitress blazed by. "Only The Good Die Young" came next, finding Crystal in a white Mets jersey and Mark in a custom 'Last Play At Shea, Joel 08' black jersey. "She Loves You" was the last tribute to the British rock gods, done with excellence.

Thanking the Fab Four, he said, "I want to thank the Beatles for letting us use their room. Best band there was, best band that ever will be!"

Then he launched into "Take Me Out To The Ball Game!" It was a fun sing along, only to be followed by the ultimate audience participation song, "Piano Man." Listening to the song on the album is wonderful and hearing it live at Nassau Coliseum or in Madison Square Garden is special. Performed at Shea Stadium, with 63,000 people serenading the very man who wrote the music and lyrics, is an EXPERIENCE.

The night ended with "Souvenir," one of the most lovely, yet shortest songs of all time. The lyrics were fiercely poignant for one of the last concerts at the historic Shea. "Every year is a souvenir that slowly fades away..." His final sage advice, as any good New Yorker will tell you, was the same old words of wisdom he's been touting for years. "Don't take any sh*t from anybody!"

He disappeared at 11:50 pm and the night of song was over. Three hours of musical delight and it was done, just like that. All that was left was the faint ringing in our ears to help us relive the show in our dreams.

The crowd began to gather towards the exits, up the stairs, back across the boardwalk to the train platforms or towards their parked cars and headed home. It was severely packed leaving the stadium. Getting in, people had arrived at different times; going home, we all moved as one towards trains or parking lots, shuffling like penguins but in a warm summer heat, one painstaking step at a time.

Many sat in a serene stupor, wanting to somehow hold onto the memory of what was heard that night for as long as possible. Others chatted enthusiastically over the concert. The next morning brought rave reviews and news that the two part serenade would be released into a movie at the end of 2009. The excitement for Friday night increased exponentially as the hours ticked by and rumors spread like the plague at who the new and final special guests would be. July 16^th, 2008, was a roller coaster of emotions that ended with pure elation. What maneuver would be set in motion to be half as outstanding as Wednesday night's show? Enter the second act, in the final play.

The LIRR had worked out a few of the kinks from the other night and there was a noticeable difference. Extra trains were added and nobody was standing in the aisles this time around. The lucky music fans arrived at the Mets' old home for the last time. It was much hotter and humid than the first, but who cared, really? These conditions were secondary and would not prove to be even a tiny crack in the concrete memory when recalling this concert years from now.

Taking in the field of the Mets, the massive groups of people slowly settled in. There was an indiscernible feeling in the air. A hopeful sign from the stands said, "Paul is all!" Clearly, those fans had thought it likely that McCartney would make an appearance. Baby boomers and older, college aged teens and younger children, all gathered in the royal town in New York for the one performer they had come to see. Billy Joel is one of the few musicians that successfully draws the respect and devotion of many generations. Elder folk had to have seen the kids and thought to themselves, they have no idea what they're in for. Neither did anyone, really.

The full moon replaced the sun as the daylight slipped away. At last, the melodic instrumental began at 9:00 pm and the place was shivering with anticipation. The announcer again boomed over the speakers. He said the show was being filmed and permission to the taping of our likeness and images were granted because of our attendance at the performance. (Cameras were mounted on a crane on the pitcher's mound, on the sides of the stage going up and down, and sliding along the bottom front of the stage.) The crowd went wild. A minute later, he spoke once more:

"Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for our National Anthem."

And so it had begun.

Billy Joel came out to sing "The Star Spangled Banner" once more, still in a black t-shirt, blazer, but sporting blue jeans that night, along with a star pendant. Billy ran through the same first few songs as on Wednesday. After "My Life" he addressed his fans.

"Good evening Shea Stadium! Is this cool or what?" He lent his regrets on starting a little later that night, but he wanted to make sure people had a chance to arrive. His next sentence had people laughing. "This is the opening act. This is it." Imagine, Billy Joel an opening act at this stage of the game? Never! (Unless he was hinting at someone BIGGER coming into the mix. Who could he have meant?!) He gave history on the stadium; it had opened in 1964 for baseball, the same year he had joined up with his first rock and roll band.

Giving praise, he thanked his fans, "And they're gonna be tearing this house down, but I wanna thank you, for letting me do the job and still keep doing it. It's the best job in the world!"

After he performed "The Entertainer," he noted how he was wearing a pin given to Ringo Starr when the Beatles played there in August 1965. (The Beatles would play there again the following year, in August 1966. They were the first band to play Shea and had opened the doors to stadium concerts. Their sound system was nothing compared to 43 years later! Given the opportunity, surely thousands of spectators that night would have gone anyway, poor sound and all, for a glimpse of seeing the Beatles.) How honored Billy must have felt to wear that star pin on such a special night. The start of the show was similar to the first, and the set-list didn't alter all that much either. "Everybody Loves You Now" was swapped out for "Summer, Highland Falls," dedicated to all the maniac depressives. Tony Bennett once again appeared to duet on "New York State Of Mind," this time wearing a dark blue suit, but just as happy and classy as on Wednesday night. Once Tony left, there was a chant for him, "Tony! Tony! Tony!" With a smile, Billy sang a line or two of Bennett's signature song, "I Left My Heart In San Francisco." When Joel performed "Don't Ask Me Why," he dedicated it to Little Anthony & The Imperials. "This Is The Time" was clocked out for another moment song, "This Night." He explained that he was 59 years old and he couldn't really hit those notes anymore.

"I'll have to dig in deep for these vocals," he commented. He did. It worked.

To the dismay of many, he then remarked, "I'll never sing that one again!"

During both shows, Joel had been using a throat spray to keep his vocals moist, and joked on Friday that he didn't really need it because of the humidity. He then contemplated, "It could be worse. It could be raining!"

Joel was also using black towels to wipe the sweat off of his face. Right before "Keeping The Faith," he asked a stagehand for "a nice wet one" and he sprayed the audience with it, reminding those familiar with Billy's early years of concerts, where he would throw a cup of water out into the audience. He played the entire song with the black towel over his head like a wig, much to the delight of his fans.

"Innocent Man" was preceded by two lines of "Spanish Harlem" and a verse of "Under the Boardwalk," all cleverly and easily gelling together. He introduced the second guest of the night, who had a hit record with Billy's next song. Country superstar, Garth Brooks, joined in trading verses on "Shameless." His pacing on the first verse was off, but he pulled it together and sounded good by the end. Garth came out in black jeans, a black Mets jersey that said 'Brooks 1' on the back and a blue Mets baseball cap. He gave Billy, who was sitting at the piano, a big bear hug as he came onto the stage. It was like a reunion. When Brooks played Central Park, Joel joined him; here they were again, at another NY landmark.

During "She's Always A Woman" a man in the front popped the question. Camera-time ploy? Perhaps. But a less cynical view is the definitive way the newly engaged couple began their soon to be entwined life together. What story can beat gaining a fiancé at such a musically significant time that will be spoken about for future generations? THAT'S the way to do it!

Joel asked, "Did she say yes? Get a pre-nup!" The crowd laughed. It was then that the show kicked into rock and roll history. Even as rumored guests were discussed and all but confirmed from confident people in-the-know, it was as if lots of fans still tried not to get hopes up in case it didn't come to fruition. The disappointment is tough to deal with.

They had nothing to be disappointed about.

After the "River Of Dreams/A Hard Day's Night" combo, Billy Joel announced that he wanted to bring out a guy to sing the next song and strutting into the spotlight with his over-the-top persona and leopard shirt was none other than Steven Tyler! The audience went nuts!! Tyler, lead singer of Aerosmith, is the very epitomic definition of what a rocker looks like and grasping the microphone draped in silken scarves, he told Queens, New York to "Walk This Way!" Steven Tyler was so lively and entertaining, going from one end of the stage to the other, working it out on his classic. At the song's end, he soaked in the applause, threw his hands in the air and said, "For you, mama." Ever the consummate professional, Tyler, whose mother had passed away that morning, dedicated the performance to her.

Billy Joel tossed the draped microphone to a stagehand and said, "You forgot your mic!" He then followed up with his own rock song, "We Didn't Start the Fire." At the song's end, he said to the audience, "Now if anybody ever gives you crap about going to a Billy Joel concert..." and he hams it up, feeding into the cheerful hollering over the next surprise. Joel said, "Please welcome, from the Who, Roger Daltrey!" Daltrey, lead singer of another British band that played Shea in 1982, had returned to sing "My Generation!" Just as in Henley's camera shots, Daltrey's switched back and forth from black and white to color. At the song's finish, Billy takes a guitar and smashes it like the Who are famous for! The fans were in elated shock and awe!

Joel left the stage after "You May Be Right" and returned for encore #1. The audience was antsy. A helicopter surged overhead taking in camera footage down below. Many people had left their seats to get closer to the stage. Nervousness built up inside that field. Before Joel returned, a stagehand curiously came out and tested a microphone. A mic check at an encore? The atmosphere surged with loud noise, yet a calming stillness existed as well.

Billy Joel walked back out with his band. He sang "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" and "Only The Good Die Young." Then, he started playing a familiar song from the Beatles, and Joel introduced the undisputable, international icon of rock and roll to the sheer thrill of those in attendance. "Please welcome... Sir Paul McCartney!"

The jubilation of terrific screams that met one of the two surviving Beatles is not able to be captured in words. There might have been no need to hire a demolition crew to tear down Shea by the end of all this. The stadium shook; the ground must have been rattled with the vibrations from the adoring fans who realized that what they had heard, what they had wished for, what they had prayed would happen, was indeed happening.

Paul, in a crisp white shirt, a loose, skinny black tie and grey slacks, raised his arms to the audience, strapped on his little guitar and stood in front of the roadie tested mic and sang "I Saw Her Standing There."

For years to come, this scene still may not be fully absorbed in one's brain. One may remember the anticipation felt when Billy started to play the song, waiting with baited breath at what was certainly coming, and when it did, it was like a cruel joke. Was it happening? Two legends, side by side, performing together on a baseball field?

All too soon, the song reached its final note and Billy thanked Paul, saying that he had flown in that night from London to be there. Eyes filled with happy tears and water proof mascara was put to the test as grown men also tried to cover their tearful glee with a wipe of a sweaty brow. McCartney went off backstage and Billy basked in the spotlight of his well pulled off surprise and followed suit.

Everyone was reeling in the essence of Paul McCartney. Chants and cheers were called out.

Billy returned for encore #2, and what would be not only the last Billy Joel song of the night, but the last at Shea Stadium. He began to play "Piano Man;" and the melancholy was palpable. The end was eminent, and this time it felt much worse because of the enormity of what fans had just seen. This was the concert of a lifetime.

The audience serenaded him in the final chorus as always. Afterwards, he stood up, thanked the crowd and brought Paul McCartney out one more time. They hugged, one epic contemporary to another, and McCartney grabbed Joel's hand and raised it to the audience's enchantment. Paul spoke into the mic.

"Hey New York! It's so cool to be back here on the last night. We came here a long time ago and we had a blast that night. And we're having another one tonight!"

Then, McCartney sat down at Billy Joel's piano, with the words 'Long Island, Oyster Bay' scrawled above the keyboard, and began to play the inspirational music that has withstood the test of time. Concerts at Shea Stadium had come full circle. "Let It Be" was the 'Last Play at Shea.'

There they were. A Beatle. A Long Islander. An international superstar. New York's favorite son. Together, on one stage. Billy playfully hopped onto the piano and joined in the chorus, but mostly he hung back and seemed to be soaking in what the audience was. It was a striking image.

Ultimately, as all good things must, it came to an end. Paul thanked the crowd, thanked Shea Stadium, and disappeared with a grateful wave. Billy thanked Paul, thanked the crowd, gave his advice and left as well. And the rest, as they say, is history.

It was midnight and the audience grappled with their senses, making their way to the doors. The male announcer came on for the last time and said departing words. "We hope you enjoyed the show here at Shea Stadium." One of the major understatements of the century! Staggering out an exit, a father leaned in and put a hand on his son's shoulder, saying, "buddy, you've just seen the best concert of your life." It was quite possibly the truth.

The summer of 2008, as far as many are concerned, culminated in mid July, over those two days in Queens, New York. The concerts had finally arrived, exceeded expectations and ruined future performances for life. Was it a night of perfection? No. Many small little details could have been much better, the weather, the expense, the overcrowding. In the grand scheme of things, the big picture is that music history had taken place, and we were a part of it. The end was as it had begun. One of the men who started it all, ended it as it deserved to end. The finale was perfect.

So, if July 16^th was the nail, July 18^th most assuredly was the hammer. It has left the feeling that one may never encounter such an experience as Friday night again. Nothing can come close; everything else will pale in comparison. Though all of these artists will undoubtedly tour and play again, together on one stage, in a little Amazin' baseball stadium...nevermore. Billy Joel, the only performer to have played at Yankee, Shea and Giants Stadiums, gave the field a beautiful swan song with a little help from his friends. The 'Last Play at Shea' was a grand slam.