Billy Joel was a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Thursday, February 15, and the Piano Man had plenty of topics to chat about. In addition to discussing his new song, “Turn the Lights Back On,” and the impending end of his Madison Square Garden residency, Joel revealed that he’d love to form a supergroup with some other famous musicians.
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“I’ve kicked at this around with a couple of people,” he explained to host Stephen Colbert. “I talked about having Don Henley, Sting, John Mayer—you know, getting a band together just to explode and break up. Play with each other until we hate each other’s guts and then split.”
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About Joel’s New Song
Colbert also asked Joel about “Turn the Lights Back On,” and whether he enjoyed making and releasing his first new song in many years.
“I enjoyed the interaction with the musicians,” the 74-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer noted. “This wasn’t about the music business for me. It was about the music. Just concentrating on the music, and that’s what made it more enjoyable.”
He added, “The whole star aspect of it, the celebrity aspect of it can be a little off-putting. Sometimes it’s too much.”
More New Music from Joel?
Colbert also brought up a 2019 interview Joel did with Rolling Stone in which Billy said he had a lot of unreleased music. The host asked whether he now had any plans to put some of that material out.
“When I had said I had music that no one’s ever heard, it’s not songs,” Joel explained. “It’s notes … it’s instrumental music, orchestral music, or melodic music. But I wasn’t writing words.”
On the End of Joel’s MSG Residency
Colbert also asked Joel on why he decided to end his long-running Madison Square Garden residency, which winds down on July 25.
“We’ve been there for 10 years, and I don’t want to outstay my welcome,” Joel quipped. “I thought, you know, better to leave before they kick you out. But it’s a great gig. It’s a great venue, the acoustics are great. It’s our home. We’ve been there for a long time.”
He also pointed out that just because the residency was ending, “[i]t doesn’t mean we can’t go back and play [Madison Square Garden] again.”
Joel’s CBS Concert Special
As previously reported, Joel’s March 28 show at Madison Square Garden, which will be his 100th of the residency, will be documented for a CBS special. The two-hour program, The 100th: Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden – The Greatest Arena Run of All Time, will premiere on April 14 on CBS at 9 p.m. ET, and also will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
Joel’s 2024 Tour Plans
Joel’s next concert will be a co-headlining date with Sting, set to take place February 24 in Tampa, Florida. His 2024 itinerary includes four other joint concerts with Sting, as well as two with Stevie Nicks and one with Rod Stewart. He also has headlining shows scheduled in Seattle, Denver, and Cardiff, U.K., and, of course, his remaining Madison Square Garden dates. Check out Joel’s full schedule at BillyJoel.com.
Tickets for Joel’s concerts can be purchased now via a variety of outlets, including StubHub.
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