Sting was delighted to bring Billy Joel out for a duet performance of The Police’s 1981 hit ‘Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic’ during their co-headlining show in Philadelphia. Fan-captured videos have since surfaced of this momentous performance.
This year marks a special year for The Piano Man: his return to making new music after years, his 150th Madison Square Garden performance, and co-headlining shows with Stevie Nicks and Rod Stewart.
Opening the Show
Joel and Sting’s performance taught their audience lessons of resilience, friendship, and the timeless power of music to uplift and inspire. Even through bad weather conditions, both musicians remained focused on their goals while forging an intense connection with their audiences that far outshone any physical limitations at the stadium.
Joel had everyone singing along to catchy choruses from songs like “Piano Man,” while effortlessly mixing reggae and jazz influences into fan favorites like “Roxanne” and “Englishman in New York.”
Joel had not released new material since 1993’s River of Dreams but still managed to impress audiences with some brand new tunes such as his newly titled single “The Rising Tied”. Sting closed out his 16-song set by inviting Joel back onto stage for an amazing duet performance of “Every Breath You Take” and ending on “Desert Rose”, making this truly one-of-a-kind. This show truly made history.
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
Sting delivered an eclectic performance on Wednesday night that seamlessly blended a range of musical genres. He effortlessly combined reggae, jazz and fan favorites such as “Roxanne” and “Only the Good Die Young.”
Sting added contemporary interpretations of classic hits such as “Shape of My Heart” and Juice World’s “Lucid Dreams”. His extraordinary bass playing was an astonishing display of taste, precision and musicianship.
Fans’ videos shared online show Joel and Sting joining forces on “Big Man on Mulberry Street,” according to fan videos posted online by fans. The two artists took turns singing the first verse before coming together on chorus — drawing an impressive reaction from audience members that left everyone speechless with cheers of applause! These iconic performers aren’t passing up this opportunity to perform together; co-headlining shows all year including those in Tampa, Chicago, and New York City gives music fans an opportunity to revisit songs that once brought joy, contentment, and satisfaction from songs that they once enjoyed as children or even just remembered from past.
Big Man on Mulberry Street
Sting and Joel joined forces for a duet rendition of “Big Man on Mulberry Street” from 1986’s The Bridge album. This jazzy tune tells the tale of an unsuccessful man walking around Little Italy’s Mulberry Street pretending he is somebody important – something Sting did himself while walking these same Manhattan streets! Joel credits Sting with having come up with its title while walking this very stretch himself.
Audience members responded enthusiastically to this song from Moonlighting Season Three Episode 6, Maddie (Cybill Shepherd) having a dream in which David plays it at an outdoor concert.
Sting and Joel’s musical styles pair harmoniously, as each excels at infusing familiar songs with fresh energy such as Roxanne, Message in a Bottle, Fields of Gold and King of Pain. At RayJay they performed these tracks with an exciting energy that added new elements and extended some tempos; this allowed their voices to showcase beautifully without resorting to straining high notes that can often prove difficult for older singers.
Turn the Lights Back On
Joel and Sting graced Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium one week prior to reuniting for four more co-headlining shows with an energetic performance. Their show combined two distinct musical streams — Joel’s solo work as well as The Police music.
The Piano Man was sure to captivate an age-diverse audience with powerful renditions of classic songs such as Vienna,”Only the Good Die Young,”and Scenes From an Italian Restaurant”.
Sting, dressed more Sinatra-esque than Madonna, delivered charming duets with Joel including jazzy versions of “Big Man on Mulberry Street.” Additionally, he brought an urgent quality to songs like The Police’s “Message in a Bottle.”