Sting and Joel kicked off their co-headlining tour at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa with an unforgettable performance, opening with “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,” from The Police. Joel joined him to sing along on its first verse.
This spring, Stevie Nicks and Rod Stewart will hit the road together again for several dates in San Diego, St. Louis and San Antonio as well as additional shows together.
1. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
Sting began his set with an acoustic ballad written during The Police’s debut album sessions of Strontium 90. Later reworked as Ghost in the Machine’s lively pop-rock version, this demo version captures its essence perfectly.
Drummer Stewart Copeland recalls John Densmore with his meaty, beaty flourishes reminiscent of John Densmore – they never sound better here! Andy Summers’ guitar is also ever present; providing solid support to Sting’s emotional and rhythmic pyrotechnics.
Billy Joel still shows incredible vocal talent at an advanced age. He took turns howling out the high parts on “So What” by Sting and joined him during the refrain, resulting in an unforgettable duet and setting the scene for a night full of hits from both acts’ discographies.
2. Fields of Gold
Joel debuted a brand-new song at his Tampa show for the first time since 1993’s River of Dreams and invited Sting, dressed like Frank Sinatra with suit and hat, ontostage for a duet performance of “Big Man on Mulberry Street.”
Although seemingly straightforward in structure, this song is in fact very intricate. Without using a bridge and employing specific musical progression in each ABAB verse, the listener can place themselves into the scene being described and see things through their eyes rather than those of a third person narrator.
Eva Cassidy performed an iconic cover version, while US figure skater Michelle Kwan used it during her 2002 Olympic run. Furthermore, Joel wrote this song in honor of all those serving their country in Iraq after receiving letters from soldiers there.
3. Walk on the Moon
Billy Joel has had an incredible 2024, having released his first single in decades, released a live concert special and embarking on a co-headlining tour that has him touring stadiums nationwide. To spice up his show he invited Sting onstage during Tampa’s show to duet on one of Billy’s classic tracks “Big Man on Mulberry Street,” as seen in fan videos captured during that performance.
Sting wore a silver suit and black fedora to match the jazzy song’s atmosphere, singing along to Joel on piano while exchanging lead vocals throughout each verse; his verses seeing some solo time for Sting to take center stage.
Diane Lane stars in the film as Pearl Kantrowitz, an ordinary suburban housewife whose life becomes drastically changed when she meets Viggo Mortensen (an itinerant hippie) at a Jewish summer camp she works at.
4. The Lion Sleeps Tonight
Billy Joel concerts always offer something extra, delighting his audiences with musical gems from Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up” to opera aria “Nessun Dorma.” There’s always something new on offer!
This time around, Piano Man decided to team up with Sting for a duet performance on “Big Man on Mulberry Street.” See fan-shot clips below!
Sting’s set was an eclectic mixture of songs from his solo catalog and The Police. However, to kick things off he gave Tampa audience a treat by trading verses on this chart-topper; his voice may no longer be as powerful, but still held up admirably for this performance and audience response was immensely positive. The crowd loved it!
5. We Didn’t Start the Fire
Though not one of Joel’s finest musically, We Didn’t Start the Fire remains a popular hit. Serving as something of a pop cultural history of post-World War II world events and people that were important in that era are referenced here.
Blender magazine called it one of the 41 worst songs ever; similar to a term paper written at the last minute. Katie Puckrik and Tom Fordyce even created a podcast covering every subject mentioned in the song!
Billy Joel and Sting kicked off their co-headlining shows with an amazing duet at Raymond James Stadium on Saturday, kicking off their 2024 tour together. Sting will perform at Madison Square Garden while Joel will continue his residency in New York and tour alongside Stevie Nicks.