BILLY 3 – GLASS HOUSES
July 24-25, 1980 (2 shows)
Glass Houses
Billy Joel had sold out five shows at Madison Square Garden the month before, but he wanted to give Long Islanders a taste of the “Glass Houses” tour on their home turf. He turned two shows at the Coliseum into benefits for Charity Begins at Home — which his then-wife Elizabeth had just started to run full-time as she stepped away from managing Joel’s career — and sold those shows out as well. It was a heady time. “Glass Houses” was in its sixth week at No. 1 on the albums chart and “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” had just started its two-week run atop the singles charts.
By the numbers
- Prime ticket cost $25
- Total number of tickets sold for both shows 32,000
- Amount distributed to various LI charities $600,000
He did ‘The Stranger,’ ‘Honesty,’ ‘I Love You Just the Way You Are.’ That was really unbelievable to be sitting there listening to him play. — Adrian Kaplan Rosen, Syosset
‘It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me’ is the song by which many will remember the summer of 1980. — Wayne Robins, Newsday, June 25, 1980
SET LIST
(July 24, 1980)
You May Be Right
Only the Good Die Young
My Life
Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)
Piano Man
Summer, Highland Falls
Zanzibar
She’s Got a Way
Stiletto
The Stranger
Don’t Ask Me Why
New York State of Mind
Prelude/Angry Young Man
Sleeping With the Television On
She’s Always a Woman
Just the Way You Are
Sometimes a Fantasy
Big Shot
It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me
ENCORES:
All for Leyna
Scenes From an Italian Restaurant
Souvenir