In December 1978, Billy Joel headlined Madison Square Garden for the first time and played three shows on the tour for his first No. 1 album, “52nd Street”. Dozens more gigs followed over the years, and in January 2014, Joel began a monthly residency as the Garden’s first “music franchise.”
Now the monthly gig is coming to an end. On Thursday, Joel and the Garden announced its final 10 shows in the series, saying the residency will conclude in July 2024 with his 104th show in the series, which will be his 150th lifetime appearance at the Garden.
“There’s only one thing more New York than Billy Joel — and that’s a Billy Joel concert at MSG,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement.
James L. Dolan, the CEO of MSG Entertainment, owner of the Garden and other venues, added, “Billy Joel’s franchise run has made history – not just for Madison Square Garden, but for the music industry at large.”
Joel’s run at MSG has been a cultural phenomenon and business in its own right. Every show is sold out, and aside from a dozen or two standards — you’re almost guaranteed to hear “Piano Man,” “Allentown,” “New York State of Mind” and “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” — the setlist varies enough to keep fans coming back time and time again. The roster of special guests included Bruce Springsteen, Tony Bennett, Olivia Rodrigo and Joel’s daughter Alexa Ray Joel.
The residency has continued approximately monthly since its inception, apart from an 18-month break during the Covid-19 pandemic, returning in November 2021.
According to industry magazine Pollstar, Joel’s residency played to nearly 1.7 million people and sold $207 million in tickets during its 89th performance in April. By his last show, the residency will have grossed more than $250 million.
The idea for the residency came after Celine Dion’s two record-breaking runs in Las Vegas, which began in 2003 and ended up selling about $660 million in tickets. But Joel was hesitant to travel there. “I knew I didn’t want to be a resident of a place like Vegas,” he said once said. “I don’t even like Vegas.”
Joel’s performances at the Garden have become “the Super Bowl of music events,” Dennis Arfa, his trusty booking agent, told The New York Times last year. It has also spawned a new residency model that has taken hold in the music business of late, with some superstar performers preferring to stay longer in a smaller number of venues, rather than flipping the card one gig at a time. traversing – a move that can reduce tour costs. and provide a bit of branding buzz. For example, last year Harry Styles played 15 dates at the Garden and another 15 at the end of 2022 and 2023 at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California.
Joel, 74, will begin his 10 countdown shows on October 20. A representative for the singer said that while he ends this run, Joel will not retire.