Related Articles
Billy Joel closed out his historic run at Madison Square Garden Thursday night with rock legend Axl Rose for an exuberant performance of Joel’s 1980 hit “You May Be Right.”
The duo also delivered a roaring performance of Guns N’ Roses’ cover of Wings’ “Live and Let Die” and AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell” to the sold-out crowd.
Rose previously performed the AC/DC song during Joel‘s 2017 concert at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium, while Joel had frequently covered “Highway to Hell” during his sets in past years, often recruiting his roadie “Chainsaw” for lead vocals.
The concert on Thursday was the Piano Man’s 150th lifetime show at the iconic venue and wrapped his record-breaking 10-year residency at MSG. According to a representative for the artist, Joel has sold over 1.9 million tickets during his time at the famous arena.
The monthly residency began on Jan. 14, 2014,and was suspended only for Covid-19 and a handful of occasions when medical issues forced a delay. At the time, Joel vowed to keep playing “as long as the demand continues,” — as the years went by, demand swelled despite it being 30 years since he releasedhis last and 12th studio album, River of Dreams.
“I’ve gone onstage and said, ‘I don’t have anything new for you, so we’re just going to play the old shit,’” Joel toldRolling Stonein 2019.“And the audience goes, ‘Yeah!’ I’ll be sitting in the stadium looking out at 30,000, 40,000, 50,000 people, thinking, ‘What the hell are they all doing here? Why now?’ I guess, in a way, I’m an anachronism. There aren’t that many of me left. There’s a rarity to it, which gives it value.”
