Review and Photography by Joel Shover (check out Joel Shover Photography here.)
February 24 2024 Tampa, FL
Billy Joel reunited with fellow Grammy award winning artist Sting for an intimate co-headlining evening of blockbuster hits at the home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in Tampa Florida on Saturday February 24th, 2024.
Raymond Stadium is no stranger to events on the grander scale, as they have hosted not one, but three NFL Super Bowls. In addition to those memorable games the stadium has also hosted The Rolling Stones, U2, and just recently the Taylor Swift Eras tour. So, it’s no surprise to have Sting and Billy Joel co-headlining here at this historic venue.
The stadium parking lots started filling up around three PM as fans from all over the world started their respectful tailgates. Smiles abounded as everyone was eager to see the show tonight and share a story of a previous Billy Joel or Sting concert, whether it was a Billy show in New York City or a Police show in Los Angeles back in their heyday. Fans reminisced about Grateful Dead show in Las Vegas that featured Sting as the opening act, or a most recent Billy Joel show at his MSG franchise residency. Billy will play show #100 on March 28th, 2024, at the famous arena in New York. That show will be televised Sunday April 14th, 2024, on CBS so mark your calendars!
As the sun fell from the sky so did the warm Florida temperature, but that didn’t stop the nearly 80,000 fans from packing the stadium. The lights dimmed and Billy Joel graced the enormous crowd and introduced Sting as the two shared the stage for the first time in over a decade. They wasted no time singing the chart-topping Police hit “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic”, as the two Grammy award winning artists traded verses as the crowd sang along.
See video from JOELFN here:
It was Sting’s show now and he came out rowdy and ready as he donned his cowboy hat and showed us another Police hit “Message in a Bottle.”
Sting took the crowd through numerous hits from his career including “Englishman In New York” featuring his good friend Shaggy helping out on vocals and harmonica, the crowd just erupted.
See video from Jerry Colvin here:
Sting delivered hit after hit including “King of Pain”, “Spirits in the Material World”, my favorite “Walking on the Moon” and everyone’s favorite “Roxanne” had every fan turning on the red light as Sting closed out his show.
Full setlist at end of article.
The time had come for the Piano Man himself to take the mega stage. Billy Joel Settled in at his Steinway Piano and broke right into “My Life”, am I the only one who remembers this song played by Garry Bennett as the opening song for Bossom Buddies sitcom?
Jerry Colvin Video:
“Moving Out (Anthony’s Song)” moved us along in our Cadillac Cac Cac as Billy Joel and his Steinway were also moving along spinning around on the mega stage.
Billy took a moment to speak to the crowd and mentioned that the last time he was at Raymond James Stadium he was there with his daughter for the Taylor Swift Eras Tour! Joel also joked every time he comes to Florida that it’s cold. I’m sure he was referencing his 2022 show in Orlando when he nearly froze on the stage! Billy now gave the crowd the choice of “just The Way You Are” or Vienna” and the crowd unanimously chose “Vienna”.
2022 Orlando show review is here.
Joel was fired up now and how could you mention Taylor Swift in this stadium and not mention the rock and roll legends, The Rolling Stones! Billy did more than a mention when he busted into the famed “Start Me Up” and showed he does in fact have the moves like Jagger.
He wasn’t cold anymore as he ditched the ballcap and proceeded to unleash a barrage of hits on the fans in a 24-song set that featured his new hit single, his first in over twenty years, “Turn The Lights Back On”
JOELFN Video:
The set also featured a duet with a dapper Sting joining the Piano Man on stage once again for “Big Man on Mulberry Street”.
JOELFN video:
Just imagine hit after hit, after hit, after hit, after hit! There were no “bathroom songs”, you never wanted to leave your seat and you surely didn’t want the night to end. Billy serenaded the Tampa crowd for the remainder of the evening. Or did the crowd serenade him with songs like “The Longest Time”, “An Innocent Man”, “New York State of Mind”, and of course it was a pretty good crowd for a Saturday night as the Piano Man played “Piano Man”? The chills of just listening to the sing-along reminds me this was bucket list material for sure!
Jaeho Yoon Video:
Billy Joel finished the show with not one, but five songs for the encore! That included top 40 hits like “Big Shot”, “Uptown Girl”, and “We Didn’t Start the Fire” that had the crowd talking about Billy Joel releasing a newer version sometime soon??? One can wish!
Rick Stiene! Video:
If you have a chance to See Billy Joel in Las Vegas on November 9th, 2024, then you need to go! This show is absolutely an amazing time, you won’t be disappointed!
Billy Joel Photo Gallery Here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=joelshoverphotography&set=a.377645515019541
Go See Live Music…….
Till The Next Show…..Joel
Sting Setlist
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
(The Police song) (with Billy Joel)
Message in a Bottle
(The Police song)
If I Ever Lose My Faith in You
Englishman in New York (with Shaggy)
If You Love Somebody Set Them Free
Spirits in the Material World
(The Police song)
Fields of Gold
Brand New Day
Heavy Cloud No Rain
Shape of My Heart (snippet of Juice WRLD’s “Lucid Dreams”)
Walking on the Moon
(The Police song) (>)
So Lonely
(The Police song) (with “No Woman, No Cry” by… more )
Desert Rose
King of Pain
(The Police song)
Every Breath You Take
(The Police song)
Roxanne
(The Police song)
Billy Joel Setlist:
My Life
(with Ode to Joy intro)
Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)
Vienna
(Audience was given a choice… more )
Start Me Up
(The Rolling Stones cover) (only through the first verse)
An Innocent Man
The Lion Sleeps Tonight
(Solomon Linda’s Original Evening Birds cover)
The Longest Time
Turn the Lights Back On
Big Man on Mulberry Street
(with Sting)
Don’t Ask Me Why
(with Goldfinger intro)
New York State of Mind
The Downeaster “Alexa”
Allentown
Sometimes a Fantasy
Only the Good Die Young
The River of Dreams
(with “River Deep, Mountain… more )
Nessun dorma
(Giacomo Puccini cover) (sung by Mike Delguidice)
Scenes From an Italian Restaurant
Piano Man
Encore:
We Didn’t Start the Fire
Uptown Girl
It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me
Big Shot
You May Be Right
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