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Billy Joel performs at the 12-12-12 concert at Madison Square Garden. (Dec. 12, 2012)
Billy Joel will play a surprise concert Wednesday at The Paramount Theater to benefit Long Island Cares. Tickets go on sale at noon Tuesday.
Joel, who had been rehearsing with his band at the Huntington theater last week for his upcoming European tour, made a “spur-of-the-moment” decision to play there for his first public Long Island show since he played Nassau Coliseum with Elton John in 2002.
Tickets for the Paramount show are $79.50-$150 and available only through Ticketmaster, 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com. There is a two ticket limit per purchase. Considering how Joel holds the record for the most sell-outs at Madison Square Garden and sold out two nights at Shea Stadium to close the historic venue, tickets for the 1,555-capacity Paramount are expected to sell out within minutes.
Though the Hicksville native has been considering retirement from touring this year, he has seemingly enjoyed being on the road, performing sporadically throughout the year, including festivals in New Orleans and Australia, as well as the short upcoming European tour. Joel is set to be honored by the Kennedy Center in December, when he will receive the nation’s highest award given to performers for his contribution to popular culture.
Joel’s concert is a boon for The Paramount, which was recently named one of the busiest clubs in the world by Pollstar magazine. “It was a dream from the beginning that he would play the venue,” says Stephen Ubertini, co-owner of the Paramount.
Dominic Catoggio, another Paramount co-owner, says that Huntington venue had planned for a Piano Man concert even before it opened in 2011. “[Co-owner Brian Doyle] would say, ‘If Billy Joel is going to play here, we need a bigger elevator, so we got a bigger elevator,” Catoggio says. “It was a dream – a dream we had since Day One.”
Doyle adds, “It’s definitely a ‘Bucket List’ moment – right at No. 1.”
Ubertini says Joel decided to rehearse at The Paramount after seeing concerts at the venue and enjoying himself. “It’s the ultimate compliment for us that he’s chosen to play here,” he says. “It’s a watershed moment.”
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