Tour Retrospectives

Billy Joel banked on his recent success when he wrote and recorded the 1980 album Glass Houses. The songs were much more streamlined and guitar-driven than his previous two platinum-selling releases, and arranged to be played in arenas and coliseums rather than theaters and colleges.  But, just as the record’s New Wave leanings drew ire […]

Billy Joel’s world tour supporting the Storm Front album was a huge success by all metrics. But behind it was a story almost as tumultuous as the album title and front cover portrayed.

Billy Joel’s An Innocent Man album earned him a new generation of fans upon its release in 1983. But the accompanying tour didn’t kick off until the next calendar year. Dubbed “From A Piano Man to An Innocent Man,” the shows were unlike any other Billy had mounted until this point. The core band was

Fans and critics alike took Billy Joel’s live shows in 1976 and 1977 as a sign that Turnstiles was going to be his big break. That wasn’t the case, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. Starting six weeks before the album’s May 1976 release, the Turnstiles tour was Billy’s most intense schedule to date.

This year, Billy Joel is embarking on his first co-headlining tour since 2009. And, the Glass Houses Podcast was there on opening night.  Billed as “Two Icons, One Night,” the Billy Joel / Stevie Nicks tour kicked off on March 10, 2023 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Prior to the show, fans were curious

2022 is turning out to be a big year for Billy Joel. Just by the end of February, fans enjoyed a unique weekend of music in a city where Billy doesn’t often play. And, new vinyl releases expanding on last year’s box set, include an album few fans have ever owned on vinyl before.  We’re

Twenty-seven years ago this month, two titans of pop music teamed up for a run of sold-out shows that would set the tone for tours to come. We’re talking about the first Face to Face tour featuring Billy Joel and Elton John. In the summer of 1994, the two hit-making piano players shared the stage

It’s easy to overlook most of Billy Joel’s The Bridge Tour concert dates from 1986 and 1987. The shows, which spanned four continents, were in support of one of Billy’s arguably weakest albums.  Meanwhile, these dates are eclipsed by the handful of landmark shows he played in the USSR at the tail end of the

Billy Joel’s World Tour from 2006 through 2007 turned out to be a true page-turner in his career. He’d played virtually no concerts the previous two years. And by the end of 2003 his performances were getting just a little stale.  But, you’d never know that from the 110 or so dates he mounted when

The year was 1987. Billy and the band were well into their tour supporting The Bridge album. An incredible opportunity came along that would change everyone involved’s life forever. Billy Joel and his band became the first American pop act to bring a full-scale touring production to Russia.  While other US artists had played behind