Lines of concertgoers wrapped around Busch Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 29, as they filed in for a “one night only” performance from music legends Billy Joel and Sting.
The two rock icons were in St. Louis as part of a tour collaboration. The two will play together two more times in the U.S. And Joel’s tour in 2025 will have select shows featuring Stevie Nicks. Both stars rocked the stage, giving the audience a dose of classic rock realness that filled the stadium with excited voices singing their songs word for word.
Billy Joel stepped on stage shortly after 7 p.m. as some guests were still making it to their seats. Joel grabbed the microphone and introduced Sting, and the pair launched into a duet of the 1981 song “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” by The Police, which Sting wrote when he was the band’s front man.
Sting set high expectations from the moment his set began. Clad in a white crew neck T-shirt and black pants, the singer went straight into another Police record, “Message in a Bottle.” The crowd sang every word, and many remained standing throughout the concert, screaming out for an “SOS” as veins protruded from Sting’s arm as he strummed his bass guitar.
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The singer performed with a small band. It only took him, guitarist Dominic Miller and drummer Chris Maas to get concertgoers shouting when the song “If I Ever Lose My Faith in You” began. When Sting sang, “You could say I’d lost my belief in our politicians,” applause echoed throughout Busch Stadium.
Afterward, Sting and his band got down and funky, repeating the lyrics to “If I Ever Lose My Faith in You.” Then a simple count-in was enough for the band to go into “Englishman in New York.” Before “Fields of Gold,” Sting paused to describe his home in England which is surrounded by golden fields of barley that inspired the lyrics.
Sting slowed the tempo down to perform “Driven to Tears.” Maas tilted his head back and closed his eyes as he played. Broken letters floated across the giant projector displaying words like “protest,” “reach” and “tears” while Sting sang.
Large projections kept everyone involved in the action with the camera crew offering different angles of the what was happening on stage. Graphics and other effects created a curated multimedia viewing experience to go along with the concert.
Sting asked the crowd to sing along with him as he performed “I Can’t Stand Losing You” by The Police.
For “Shape of My Heart,” about a professional gambler who finds meaning in the risks of the game, playing cards and dice floated across the screens as Sting played. There was visible wear and tear on his bass. The singer has described the vintage instrument as “carved by use.”
Throughout his performance, Sting bounced between solo hits and fan favorites from The Police. He performed “Walking on the Moon” and “So Lonely” before bringing the sand to the stadium with his song “Desert Rose.” The stage glowed red when he launched into “Roxanne” by The Police. Halfway through the song, he slowed down the tempo again, getting groovy with the bass lines as the crowd sang.
Sting and the band continued breaking down the melodies of the song until they smoothly transitioned into “Every Breath You Take.” After that, Sting blew a kiss to the cheering crowd. He grabbed his bandmates’ hands and took a bow.
After an intermission, intense, cinematic music blasted from the speakers as the stadium went dark. A cool breeze wafted through Busch Stadium as a single spotlight illuminated Billy Joel. He began with “Moving Out (Anthony’s Song)” before picking up the pace with “Pressure.” Joel’s band was bigger than Sting’s, with multiple instrumentalists who also doubled as vocalists throughout the show.
He greeted the audience once more after “Pressure,” taking a sip of tea from his mug before performing his 1974 song “The Entertainer.” After finding out singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson had died just before the show, Joel sang a rendition of Kristofferson’s “Me and Bobby McGee,” which was popularized by Janis Joplin. Then Joel launched into one of his most popular records, “Vienna.”
Sting rejoined him on stage to perform Joel’s song “Big Man on Mulberry Street.” Joel said the wrote the record with Sting in mind after meeting the U.K. singer for the first time in 1980. The song’s intense jazz rhythms were piercing and intricate. Sting stood centerstage to sing while Joel played, but Sting was leaning on the piano by the time Joel joined in after the second verse. After the duet, Sting kissed Joel on the forehead before exiting the stage.
The night continued with hit after hit. Joel gave a lengthy, legendary performance at Busch Stadium that lasted over two hours. At 11 p.m., the icon was still pulling hits from his bag from behind his piano.
After a brief cover of “Start Me Up” by The Rolling Stones, Joel performed “An Innocent Man” and a mashup of “The River of Dreams” and “Lion Sleeps Tonight,” a familiar tune for many Joel fans that also appeared on Disney’s “The Lion King” soundtrack. That led into “The Longest Time,” where Joel’s band transformed into dynamite vocalists. Everyone had their chance to shine on stage, performing individual solos and showcasing the range and diversity of Joel’s accompanying ensemble. They closed out the song in three-part harmony, lining up alongside Joel and gripping their mic stands as they sang.
Joel’s list of notable and iconic songs seemed endless as he performed “Don’t Ask Me Why,” “Allentown” and “New York State of Mind.” Joel’s band shined during these songs, with heartfelt solos from his guitarist Tommy Byrnes and saxophonist Mark Rivera. Before performing his song “My Life,” Joel said he once sang the song to his parents and now his children sing it to him. The crowd laughed and sang along, united in defiance against anti-individualism.
Joel continued with songs like “Sometimes a Fantasy” and “Only the Good Die Young.” He did a reprise of “The River of Dreams” with a twist that included a rendition of Ike and Tina Turner’s “ River Deep, Mountain High” sang with vocalist and band member Crystal Taliefero.
After a beautiful solo a cappella performance of the Giacomo Puccini song “Nessun dorma” by vocalist Mike DelGuidice, Joel launched into his song “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant.” Joel then pulled out his harmonica to perform his legendary song “Piano Man,” and the crowd went wild, singing along, waving their hands, and lighting up Busch Stadium with cellphone lights. Some even stood on their chairs.
When the song was over, the applause rose through the stadium and many people began leaving.
But the show wasn’t over. Joel returned for an encore that included “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” “Uptown Girl” and “Still Rock ’n’ Roll to Me.” Guests who’d left their seats danced in the aisles. Every time the show appeared to be over, Joel played on, and the crowd loved it. Before he bid the city farewell, Joel performed “Big Shot” and “You May Be Right.” Although some guests trickled out, most stayed to the very end for a once in a lifetime performance from the Piano Man.