It’s on rare occasion that one is at the right place at the right time. On November 22, 2023, my family and I were fortunate enough to be in that place,...just at the right time.

When Billy Joel announced he was ending his residency at Madison Square Garden, my wife, a lifelong Billy Joel fan said, “We have to go see him, just one more time.” My wife and I had seen Billy several times before, but this time I wanted to make it special and bring our two teenage daughters who had previously not come to a show so my wife could experience Billy with her daughters and all of us together as a family.

We left on time but struggled through Lincoln Tunnel then NYC traffic and I was concerned we’d get to the show just on time. When we arrived at MSG the lines were long to get in but I found a special entrance and hurried us through those doors. Next we were in the concession area moving towards our section when a gentleman approached us saying “Hi!”, extending his hand to my wife for a handshake. My wife looked at him, asking herself “Do I know this person?”, then quickly pulled her hand back when her brain told her she didn’t know him. He smiled and said “Are you all big Billy Joel fans?” We then noticed his Billy Joel attire and credentials any my wife put her hands on her face and said “Yes, we’re lifelong fans!” He said “How’d you like to see Billy from the front row???”

We were all suddenly shaking and said “yes” and moments later this fine gentleman handed us 4 front row tickets to the show. The only thing he said was when the camera came by, make sure we "smiled and cheered."

So we were in the right place, just at the right time…

It’s a well-known fact that Billy Joel does not sell seats for the first few rows of his concerts, preferring instead to distribute them to "real fans" who have bought cheaper tickets. He has repeatedly outlined a long-standing policy of preferring to hold seats in the first few rows of his concerts and give them to ardent fans, rather than selling them to what he has presented as wealthy and disinterested socialites.

We were BEYOND thrilled to get this ticket upgrade and when that fine gentleman passed through our seats just moments before the show began, he and I made eye contact and I extended my hand for a heartfelt handshake thanking him for what he did as I knew this experience was going to be a once in a lifetime experience for my wife, daughters and I, and I couldn’t be more thankful.

As an avid multimedia buff, my next thought was to pull out my iPhone and record some of the show so I could remember it the rest of my life. A minute or so later, Randy Newman's The End Title began playing (the song Billy always uses just before the show begins), Billy's longtime stagehand walked out and placed a steaming cup of coffee on the piano, the music got louder, the lights went down, and BIlly walked out. I didn't capture the whole show, but please enjoy what I did capture, it's something I will never forget!

And THANK YOU ‪@billyjoel‬ , for offering these seats to your fans, what an incredible gesture, something us fans will never forget….

#billyjoel #msg #madisonsquaregarden #concert #concerts #joel #thegarden

0:00 Preshow
0:29 Randy Newman's The End Title
3:00 Here's Billy!
3:35 Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)
8:34 My Life
11:55 Everybody Loves You Now
13:03 The Downeaster "Alexa"
16:45 Zanzibar
21:31 Start Me Up
23:29 An Innocent Man
29:16 The Lion Sleeps Tonight
29:56 Barbara Ann
30:39 The Longest Time
34:12 The Entertainer
36:48 Don't Ask Me Why
39:35 Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
42:54 Where Did Our Love Go
43:47 Stop! In the Name of Love
44:26 Dazed and Confused
45:26 Good Times Bad Times
47:21 Allentown
51:00 New York State of Mind
58:17 Only the Good Die Young
1:02:49 The River of Dreams
1:08:16 Piano Man
1:14:35 We Didn't Start the Fire
1:17:40 Uptown Girl
1:20:56 It's Still Rock and Roll to Me
1:24:36 Big Shot
1:29:09 You May Be Right