These legendary musicians kicked off their co-headlining tour together at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium back in February, with subsequent dates planned in San Diego, St Louis and Las Vegas throughout this spring.
Sting appeared dressed like Frank Sinatra with his iconic hat and suit to perform “Big Man on Mulberry Street,” having performed it previously with Joel at Madison Square Garden.
What to Expect
The two will perform four more co-headlining shows – in San Diego, St. Louis, San Antonio and Las Vegas – before Joel completes his record-setting Madison Square Garden residency on July 25. Additionally, The Piano Man has other concerts planned this year including stadium dates with Stevie Nicks and Rod Stewart.
Sting hails from Long Island like Joel and currently resides there, giving both musicians a shared sense of place on stage during their first night together. Sting brought dynamic energy to fan favorites such as “Roxanne” and “Englishman in New York”.
The concert was recorded for CBS’ special Billy Joel: The 100th at Madison Square Garden, airing Friday, April 19. Paramount+ subscribers can also stream it. It was an extremely successful sold-out performance with fans spanning all ages united in their love for Billy’s music – from kids to retirees! Here are a few highlights of the night:
Opening Act
Billy Joel joined Sting onstage for duets that kicked off a sold-out show at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Both artists delivered songs from both of their catalogs as well as The Police music.
Both musicians were experienced professionals, so their interaction seemed natural and refreshingly natural. Additionally, it was great to witness that even at his age Sting can still sing beautifully; his voice has taken on more texture in recent years while higher notes were handled by younger backup singers rather than himself.
At the night’s first set, an array of music from “Boys in the Band,” “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant” and “Piano Man” was performed, leaving the audience singing along, dancing alongside strangers and feeling an overwhelming sense of nostalgia – made even stronger by lighting which transformed every inch of stadium space with colored lights and lasers synced perfectly to each musical note. This enhanced their experience.
First Set
Sting began his performance with a 16-song set encompassing both his solo catalog and that of The Police. To end his set, Sting collaborated on “Big Man on Mulberry Street” with Joel who joined him onstage for a duet rendition.
Sting’s second encore began after his initial set, playing several songs from his Brand New Day album with full band backing that included saxophone and violin players. These performances included title track and “Desert Rose”.
Sting’s vocal cords may no longer be in tiptop condition, but his velvet voice still cuts through the air with ease. He sang many of his hits as well as contemporary versions such as Juice WRLD’s “Lucid Dreams.” A highlight of his second set was an outstanding rendition of his classic song “Englishman in New York” performed with reggae-fusion artist Shaggy joining him.
Second Set
Sting brought his signature piano playing and “Message in a Bottle” songstress Sting back out for another sold-out Petco Park show to transport fans back into a New York State of Mind. Donning a Sinatra-esque silver suit and black fedora as he took the stage, Sting performed some of his classic tunes such as:
However, Joel wasn’t content with just singing solo during his set – instead inviting out his friend for a duet of “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic”.
After they concluded their collaboration, Sting resumed his own solo set combining solo and Police hits into one show – including covering Shaggy’s “Roxanne.”
The concert marks one of several co-headlining performances between Joel and Sting this year, who will soon end their Madison Square Garden residency and continue touring solo or together in 2021.