Billy Joel brought his historic Madison Square Garden run to an end on Thursday (July 25) with a sold-out show marking his record 150th concert at the famed New York arena. After serving up classics like 'New York State of Mind', 'The Entertainer', 'Allentown' and 'The Downeaster Alexa', Joel invited Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose for a mini set of covers and duets.
Wearing a sparkly sequined sport coat, black jeans and shirt and dark shades, Rose stepped out mid-show to tease his iconic rendition of Wings' James Bond theme 'Live and Let Die', with Joel ringing in the ivories. as Rose stalked the stage, wailing high notes and stomping his foot to the song's staccato stabs.
Joel broke protocol and got up from his piano to don an electric guitar as the two also broke into a cover of AC/DC's “Highway to Hell.” Although it seems out of character, the cover was entirely fitting since Rose filled in for ailing AC/DC singer Brian Johnson on the hard rockers' 2016 tour, and Joel and Rose have collaborated on the song before, including on Billy's Dodger Stadium in 2017. in Los Angeles.
After Joel, 75, went on to a string of other classics – 'Only the Good Die Young,' 'Scenes From An Italian Restaurant,' 'Piano Man,' 'We Didn't Start the Fire,' 'Uptown Girl ” and “ Big Shot” — Rose is back for the grand finale: a duet on Joel's 1980s Glass Houses burner “You may be right.”
The epic MSG streak, during which Joel sold nearly two million tickets, began on January 14, 2014, and entered the history books with some help from Tonight show Host Jimmy Fallon, who ran onstage to mark the moment as a blue banner reading “Billy Joel 150: Most Lifetime Performances by Any Artist” was unfurled from the rafters.
Joel — who released his first new pop song in 17 years, “Turn the Lights Back On” in February — is far from done, with stadium shows in the UK, Cleveland, St. Louis, Los Angeles , San Antonio and Las Vegas on the road through November.
Watch fan video of Rose and Joel's performances below.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/axl-rose-gnr-billy-joel-final-madison-square-garden-residency-show-acdc-wings-covers-1235740934/
