Under a sparkling full moonlight, two master musicians – an “Englishman in New York” and the “Piano Man” – took to Raymond James Stadium and delivered classic hits to an enthusiastic crowd.
At one point during Joel’s set, Sting returned wearing his trademark trucker hat to sing duet on “Big Man on Mulberry Street.” Watch fan-captured videos below of this momentous occasion!
1. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
At Saturday night’s one-night only show in Tampa, while Billy Joel took center stage, Sting made an appearance and helped sing some classic hits during Joel’s set – including one of his own 1981 hits! That song also saw them teaming up together onstage for a duet performance.
Sting began singing “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,” then Joel took over for the chorus – giving fans an unforgettable opportunity to witness and hear both legendary acts perform live together!
Joel performed many of his early hits during his set, such as “Piano Man” and “New York State of Mind.” A screen projected images of Brooklyn Bridge while performing this song. Sting returned dressed like Frank Sinatra for “Big Man on Mulberry Street.”
2. Big Man on Mulberry Street
Sting was clearly delighted while performing The Police hit, tossing his arms in the air with joy as his band provided adequate cover of his high notes or modified them slightly to match the singer’s age.
Halfway through Joel’s set, Sting returned for an engaging duet of Big Man on Mulberry Street with him, with fan-filmed clips showing them harmonizing together and clearly having fun together.
Joel continues his co-headlining tour this spring with shows in San Diego, St. Louis and Las Vegas; additionally he will wrap up his Madison Square Garden residency this summer as well as performing stadium gigs with Stevie Nicks and Rod Stewart in Arlington Texas and Chicago.
3. The Lion Sleeps Tonight
Sting’s set was an engaging mix of solo and Police songs. His high falsetto wail may no longer be as strong, but Sting still put on an impressive performance with great vocals that kept audiences dancing to each song in turn.
Sting is still an engaging performer and his songs remain timeless enough that even after decades, they can still sound fresh. Even if you had seen Sting sing “Roxanne,” “Message in a Bottle,” and “Fields of Gold,” before, he made them sound new and vital on Saturday at Raymond James Stadium.
One blemish occurred when his friend Shaggy appeared and started singing “Englishman in New York” along with him, making a small but noticeable mistake during their duet. We hope we see you back at the Garden Piano Man! Thank you for giving us such wonderful memories; hopefully see you in 2024 (Photograph by Scott E. Shields/Getty Images). (Photo by Scott E. Shields/Getty Images).
4. We Didn’t Start the Fire
Billy Joel opened with his 1989 hit song, “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” an instant classic on concert tours since its initial appearance on his album Storm Front in 1989. This tune gives an excellent summary of world events from 1949 (when Joel was born) to 1989 when it made its debut.
Sting demonstrated impeccable vocal power as he opened up the show with his exciting duet on this track, matching Stevie Wonder’s harmonica parts perfectly. His timing and vocal range made this performance absolutely breathtaking!
Fall Out Boy released an updated version of “Tomorrow Never Dies” in 2023, replacing Joel’s lyrics with notable people and events from between 1989 to 2023. These new lyrics take a more chronological approach rather than randomizing time passage like in the original version did.
5. Piano Man
Piano Man was the song that launched Joel’s career. A testament to Joel’s empathy and ability to connect with people, its lyrics tell of piano bar patrons Joel met while performing under Bill Martin in Los Angeles; while its timeless message makes this song timeless.
Joel originally recorded “Cold Spring Harbor” for Columbia Records’ 1973 album of Cold Spring Harbor; Columbia executives felt it ran too long and made the decision to cut it back by one minute – an event now celebrated as legendary and central to what makes this song such a masterpiece.
Sting was an ideal partner to Joel throughout his set list. They performed several songs together before concluding with Sting’s reggae tribute, Englishman in New York.