The hurricanes potential weather threat caused a frenzy amongst concert goers on Friday! Everyone’s panties were in a bunch but it was worth the wait for the Two icons, One Night 2024 tour. Busch Stadium hosted a concert of a lifetime on this rescheduled Sunday. The weather is absolutely phenomenal. Cool night and hot music. What a perfect Saint Louis moment. The entry lines were long and I’m certain a few people missed the shows kickoff as they shuffled to find their seats for the sharpest start time of a concert I’ve ever witnessed. 7:00 pm- ON THE DOT.
The evening kicked off unceremoniously. No flashy light show or visuals. House lights drop and Billy Joel casually strolls onstage in a trucker hat to introduce his buddy, the one and only Sting. Joel is on a FaceTime with family members as Sting invites him to sing his opening song, “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic.” The entire performance was just some men and their instruments delivering hit after hit. He included many hits from The Police to some of his greatest solo songs. The appreciation I had to see instruments that were beautifully worn was the probably the biggest testament proving if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I am certain his bass has so many stories to tell, and for some reason it was a highlight of the entire performance for me to see his relationship with this instrument . It’s a 57 P-Bass, and he has stated in numerous interviews how the more the instrument is played, the more responsive and spiritual it becomes. I truly felt this in my soul. It was my first time seeing Sting, and it was genuinely a moment I’ll never forget. He’s the real deal. His guitarist, Dominic Miller, also had a very beautifully worn instrument. It was just amazing to see such dedication to instruments- we all felt it. He is truly a powerful man- I stand behind his music and much respect to using his platform for his beautiful activism for human rights.
Billy Joel. The Piano Man. The man, the myth, the legend.
That’s the review. Thank you, and good night.
Billy Joel and Sting at Busch Stadium 9/29/24 – Mick Lite Photography
Mick Lite Photography
Real talk: WHAT A DREAM. This man is truly the definition of classic storytelling music. His quirky personality shines through his music, but mostly anytime he speaks. This ivory pounding virtuoso made this evening feel so personal and intimate despite being in a high capacity stadium. The trio of big screens brought us a birds eye view of his impeccable skilled playing, as well as minimizing the true capacity of this event. The live horn section was larger than life with sound. There’s nothing that hits harder than a sultry saxophone and the crispy tones of a jazzy trumpet. I melted over this horn section composed of a tenor, an alto and the trumpet. GOOSEBUMPS. All three of these musicians doubled as backup singers(and all were featured throughout the evening) Joel truly had a hard hitting band supporting his magic ivory tickling fingers.
A few highlights of musicianship can’t go without mention(and I am sure I will forget some things as I seriously spent the entire show just purely entertained with scrambled notes for me to reflect back to):
Mark Rivera (tenor sax, vocalist) was truly the biggest asset to every single song throughout the entire set. His east coast attitude came through that saxophones tone and made every song feel like it was my first time hearing it all over again.
Crystal Taliefero was truly a woman of many talents- alto, percussion, vocals. During “River of Dreams” she took us to church with her rendition of “River Deep Mountain High” .
Michael DelGuidice(guitarist, vocalist) to perform an angelic rendition of “ Nessun Dorma” in perfect Italian. Breathtaking, and was followed by “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant”.
The night drew to a close with a resounding encore performance of five timeless favorites: “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” “Uptown Girl,” “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me,” “Big Shot,” and “You May Be Right.” Joel’s dynamic stage presence ignited the audience, prompting widespread dancing, singing, and applause from fans of all ages the entire duration of the show. This rousing conclusion reinforced Joel’s enduring influence as a singer-songwriter, cementing his legacy for generations. One night, two icons made for the most momentous life experience.
Melissa O’Rourke aka WickedWitchofSTL is a jack of all trades. By day she’s an established tattooist and piercer, by night a mother to her amazing son (who is a hell of a guitarist). Melissa has a musical background and can often be found at a local karaoke joint, or a concert when she’s not driving across the country for an adventure. This social butterfly always welcomes conversation so come say hi! See y’all at the next gig!
