Billy Joel remains an impressive musical force at age 72, although his voice may no longer match its previous strength; often struggling with high notes in some of his classic tunes.
On Saturday night at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, he called in one of his famous friends – Sting – for assistance and the two performed duets together onstage.
1. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
Even through the pouring rain at Raymond James Stadium, both Joel and Sting were outstanding performers. Joel – an esteemed pianist who hadn’t released new material in 17 years – opened this one-night-only concert with an upbeat set.
Former frontman of The Police, Sting breathed new life into iconic 1980s rock hits such as “Message in a Bottle,” “King of Pain” and “Fields of Gold”. Additionally, his unique blend of reggae, world music and jazz influences created songs like “Desert Rose”.
Sting, who performed duets with Stevie Wonder on his 2021 album, did more than simply echo Joel’s phrasing on classics such as Roxanne and Brand New Day; he added his own distinctive sound. From bass mastery and vocal harmony harmonies to contemporary reinterpretations – the audience was won over! And they wanted more! This duo will team up again this spring in San Diego and this summer at Madison Square Garden – no doubt leaving fans hungry for more!
2. Big Man On Mulberry Street
At the height of a scorching New York summer, residents of an under-renovated Manhattan tenement are horrified to find themselves under attack from bloodthirsty rats that give new meaning to “rat race.” Though not original in content or style, this film shows early promise with strong character development and plot setup before succumbing to generic zombie/rat/human battle scenes.
Nick Damici, Kim Blair and Bo Corre are excellent as the leads, creating convincing characters who seem realistic within an apartment setting that creates an oppressive sense of foreboding. The shots taken within it also help the film capture this fearsome atmosphere effectively.
Horror fans will recognize it as one of the few modern horror films that makes social commentary, specifically regarding greedy land developers and similar topics. Although the movie suffers from some genre shortcomings such as hyperactive editing and jerky camera movement, it still delivers some frightening moments. This DVD release arrives with an anamorphic widescreen transfer that looks quite good overall.
3. The Lion Sleeps Tonight
Saturday’s opening number was an unforgettable performance.
South African singer Solomon Linda never imagined that his 1939 song, “Uyimbube”, would travel across the ocean and be covered by Pete Seeger and The Weavers as folk revivalists in America. Four white voices misheard its lyrics and changed it into “Wimoweh,” making the tune an American number one hit for doo wop group the Tokens (although George David Weiss, Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore claimed ownership).
Over eighty years later, it would make its debut in Walt Disney’s 1994 Lion King film when Timon and Pumbaa casually sing it between Hakuna Matata and Can You Feel the Love Tonight. Jay Siegel still performs it today at age 83 with his band, The Tokens; their opening show began with Siegel singing an incredible high falsetto “Wimoweh”, to which everyone joined in unison, providing an exciting start for their co-headlining concert!
4. It’s Too Late
After 17 years since his last album release and with Madison Square Garden residency set to come to an end this year, legendary Billy Joel is making the most of his remaining shows – one such memorable performance was featuring Sting as part of an unforgettable duet at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Sting was in full rocker mode, blending influences from reggae and jazz into fan favorites like “Roxanne,” “Englishman in New York,” and “Fields of Gold.” He even brought out one of his backup singers to sing a verse of Ike and Tina Turner’s classic song, “River Deep – Mountain High.”
Audience members were particularly delighted by an acoustic reinterpretation of The Police classic “Every Breath You Take”. A chorus of “wow, this is really happening” filled the arena – marking an unforgettable moment in its entirety and serving as an appropriate tribute to an outstanding career.