On Saturday night at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, two iconic figures in pop music joined forces for an unprecedented concert co-headlining act: they sang numerous duets as part of their set list.
Sting’s set was comprised of both solo and Police hits, featuring his longtime collaborator Shaggy for “Englishman in New York.”
Joel will perform two more shows this year with Stevie Nicks and Rod Stewart before concluding his 10-year Madison Square Garden residency.
The Duets
Billy Joel has been enjoying himself tremendously of late. From releasing new music, to contemplating which artists should comprise his supergroup and duetting with Sting, to sharing the stage at Raymond James Stadium – home of American football team Tampa Bay Buccaneers – for an co-headlining gig over the weekend, his antics continue.
Joel surprised the Police’s fans during their set by coming out to join in a duet of Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic with them, exchanging lines and harmonizing on choruses together. It was truly beautiful!
Sting returned later during Joel’s set wearing an imitative Sinatra-style suit and fedora for his rendition of Big Man on Mulberry Street from 1986. Fan-captured videos showed both artists sounding fantastic together – something clearly visible in these videos. Both seemed to enjoy themselves while performing, something evidenced in these clips.
The Songs
Sting’s opening set was filled with energy and excitement, as he breathed new life into Joel classics such as “Message in a Bottle” and “Brand New Day.” In addition, he extended a number of songs (such as its Arabic-influenced melody “Desert Rose”) in order to build dynamic tension.
Some songs didn’t quite meet expectations. Personally, “The Girl from Long Island” never impressed me much and was difficult to get past its unauthentic Western premise and monotone vocal break.
Sting and Joel were pleased to surprise their audience by inviting Sting back out for an encore performance of “Big Man on Mulberry Street,” performing it together while Sting wore his Sinatra-esque suit and hat. Reggae icon Shaggy joined them onstage for one final verse as an unexpected bonus that made this show worth staying for. Fans who missed it due to CBS scheduling errors could rewatch it later via Paramount+.
The Performances
Sting, who joined Joel for a lively duet of “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,” delivered a 16-song opening set with superb timing and vocal power – including his hit track from 1987’s Rhythm of the Night album called “Englishman in New York.”
Sting returned to stage during Joel’s opening set to perform their hit duet “Big Man on Mulberry Street,” first heard at Madison Square Garden show in 2014. Additionally, Sting invited out members of Joel’s band for an unusual version of Roxanne that was slower and had more reggae influence.
Joel delivered standout renditions of Vienna,”Only the Good Die Young,”and Scenes From an Italian Restaurant”. His piano playing was crisp, and it appeared that he enjoyed engaging his audience throughout his set. This summer he plans on teaming up with Stevie Nicks and Sting for more co-headlining dates.
The Audience
Ray James Stadium crowd was overcome with nostalgia as some songs brought back memories from childhood and others brought smiles of contentment and happiness with adulthood. Audience members sang along, danced and showed their admiration for two legendary rock musicians of our time.
Joel remains in great voice at nearly 60. He still hit high notes effortlessly, while remaining highly proficient on piano – his playing was similar to Elton John with some Phil Spector-influenced Wall of Sound flair and jazz influences added in for good measure.
Sting’s performance was nothing short of magnificent. He transported the audience on a musical journey through his catalogue, including tracks from 1999 album Brand New Day. Although many expected him to join Joel onstage for “Englishman in New York”, instead Sting made a surprising announcement: He invited reggae star Shaggy ontostage so they could finish it together!