You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
LAST PLAY AT SHEA ROCKS THE HOUSE<br />
Billy Joel doc captures the story behind the show<br />
SHOW BUSINESS<br />
PHIL<br />
CONTRINO<br />
Editor<br />
BoxOffice.com<br />
I<br />
’ve seen Billy Joel live only<br />
once. It was at Hershey Park—<br />
yes, the aroma of chocolate is<br />
strong in the stadium—in the<br />
summer of 2008. Even though<br />
Joel hasn’t released an album of<br />
new songs since 1993, he still<br />
puts on a killer show. I’ll always<br />
remember slipping out of my<br />
assigned seat to join a gang of<br />
strangers who were singing<br />
along with his set list of greatest<br />
hits.<br />
I’m lucky to have seen a living<br />
legend in concert. But I’m<br />
still jealous of the fans who<br />
rocked out as Joel had the honor<br />
of playing the last concert ever<br />
at New York’s Shea Stadium—a<br />
show that inspired an excellent<br />
film titled Last Play at Shea.<br />
Before I start unabashedly<br />
raving about the film, I must<br />
confess that I was just slapped<br />
with the news that I could<br />
have been at the concert. At<br />
a Halloween party I was telling<br />
a friend how much I loved<br />
Last Play at Shea. “I was there!”<br />
he blurted out, before adding<br />
salt to the wound. “My cousin<br />
bought like 15 tickets and sold<br />
them—he made a lot of money.”<br />
I tried to remain cool. One<br />
phone call from a person who<br />
knew that I was a Joel fanatic<br />
and I could have been part of<br />
history.<br />
But the truth: we’ve all<br />
missed that one great concert.<br />
That’s why I’m glad to see that<br />
concert films—a permanent,<br />
up-close memory of a stellar<br />
show—are having a renaissance<br />
with everyone from the Rolling<br />
Stones to Miley Cyrus to the<br />
28 BOXOFFICE DECEMBER <strong>2010</strong>
Change language