In what just might be the most Suffolk County thing to ever happen, Billy Joel jumped on stage at small Long Island venue the Paramount on June 24 to perform alongside the Billy Joel cover band Big Shot. Of course, Billy Joel performing his own songs with a cover band wouldn’t technically be a covers show, so Joel kept the spirit of the night alive with his take on Joe Cocker’s “With A Little Help From My Friends”, Led Zeppelin‘s “Rock and Roll” and the Rolling Stones‘ “Honky Tonk Woman”.
Now, Billy Joel performing his own songs in Huntington isn’t fair to the folks who shell out to see him play Madison Square Garden every month, but taking the stage so dramatically without playing at least one of his own hits isn’t fair to anyone. So, he did treat the crowd to a bit of “Piano Man” before segueing into that Zep cover.
You may wonder why Big Shot aren’t absolutely losing their minds like we’ve seen in similar stories in the past. Even Spoon and Pavement cover bands lost their affected senses of cool when joined by legit members. So, what gives?
Well, it turns out Big Shot isn’t any old cover band. It’s actually what Billy Joel’s backing band gets up to when they aren’t backing the man himself.
(via Rolling Stone)
