This truly unforgettable concert brought two iconic music figures together for an unforgettable concert experience. Their songs ranged from “Fields of Gold” to “Piano Man,” creating feelings of both nostalgia and community pride.

Sting brought fresh energy and vibrancy to classics such as “Message in a Bottle,” “Brand New Day,” and “King of Pain,” as well as stretching songs such as Desert Rose to build tension before relieving it.

Opening Act

As Billy Joel and Sting launched their co-headlining stadium tour in Tampa on Saturday night, their audience was absolutely enthralled with the music. People danced in the aisles while strangers wrapped each other with new Billy Joel blankets; concession workers sang along while selling churros; it was an unforgettable event and rare opportunity to witness two music icons perform alongside one another.

Sting was still an impressive presence onstage, performing his iconic ’80s hits with power and conviction. He seamlessly blended influences from reggae and jazz into fan favorites such as “Roxanne,” “Every Breath You Take,” and “Englishman in New York.” Supported by multi-instrumentalist Crystal Taliefero from his backing band as well as Shaggy for an unexpected appearance during “Englishman in New York”, Sting gave an electric performance.

As soon as Joel completed his set, Sting came out to duet with him on “Big Man on Mulberry Street,” as captured in fan footage. Their voices blended beautifully as they belted out this song. Sting stayed onstage for Joel’s headlining set filled with classics such as “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant,” “Piano Man,” and the iconic “Message in a Bottle.”

Performances

Joel and Sting delivered an electrifying performance at Raymond James Stadium. Sting, whom Joel once wanted to recruit for a supergroup, breathed new life into classic songs such as “Message in a Bottle” and “Fields of Gold.”

Sting also thrilled the crowd with his chart-topping Police songs such as “Roxanne,” “Every Breath You Take,” and “Walking on the Moon.” To add extra drama, he brought reggae artist Shaggy out for a duet performance as captured in fan footage clips.

Billy Joel took to the stage and was met with a standing ovation, joining Sting in singing “Big Man on Mulberry Street,” where their voices harmonized beautifully together.

Billy Joel finished off his performance by reciting his hit anthem “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” As the crowd sang along in unison, it was an unforgettable night for both legends – leaving everyone smiling in its wake! If you get the opportunity to attend this co-headlining tour I highly suggest doing it; you won’t forget this show for sure.

Conclusions

Joel’s songs still resonate strongly, while his style and approach have grown with age. He now knows how to pace his show and leave audiences wanting more rather than simply singing along. Sting also brought this same approach, adding new vigor into classics such as “Message in a Bottle,” “Brand New Day,” and “Fields of Gold,” while stretching a few songs out to build tension before release; though I wish he would have taken more time on “Desert Rose”, which resonated particularly poignantly given current state of war in Middle Eastern countries.

Joel invited a range of special guests out onstage for his solo sets, such as Miley Cyrus, Alexa and Olivia Rodrigo – as well as Sting and his band – making the television broadcast seem more like an intimate musical performance than an archived music video.

Tom Teicholz’s book on Billy Joel provides an excellent, comprehensive overview, with information that fans won’t find elsewhere. At 96 pages long and at overpriced for what amounts to a magazine edition price point, this publication makes a good starting point for further study of Joel’s life and work.