While making plans to attend New York Comic Con, I waited for Billy Joel‘s Madison Square Garden October show date to be announced. Once I learned it was Sunday, Oct. 10, I extended my stay from three days to four to include the show.

Although I attended many of Joel’s Chicago-area concerts, seeing him in his home was a bucket list item for me. Aside from MSG being an iconic venue, it serves as Joel’s concert home on a monthly basis. Joel was named MSG’s first-ever musical franchise in December 2013, with his residency starting January 2014. Sunday’s show was his 84th.

Anticipation built as I walked from The Ritz-Carlton NoMad just a few blocks away. As I got closer, I joined random fans in conversations about the Piano Man. We made predictions on his opener. Knowing it had to be a powerful tune, I predicted “A Matter of Trust.”

Once there, I did a quick tour of the arena. I even stumbled upon a concert-used piano on display. Although my seat was high, I didn’t care. I was about to see Joel at MSG.

Joel did start with “A Matter of Trust,” but I wasn’t thinking about my correct guess until I was walking back to the hotel. His 22-song set included standards, with a few lesser-known songs like “Zanzibar,” as well as a cover of “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” When his five-song encore ended with “You May Be Right,” I was exhausted and exhilarated.

Maybe it was being in MSG, the pandemic or just my excitement, but Joel seemed more energetic and sounded better than the last time I saw him a few years back. At 73, he still has the rawness from his youth, but now it is mixed with a little more style and confidence.

Although it was a fantastic show, it was a more amazing experience. Like an athlete on his home field, Joel came alive for his fellow natives and a few of us adopted New Yorkers.

— John Wroblewski, online writer