A few hundred lucky Tufts students were given a rare treat on Nov. 13 when music legend Billy Joel chose Tufts as one of six stops on a cross-country tour of universities. The Piano Man dazzled the Cohen Auditorium crowd with familiar tunes and selections from his new classical album, while answering questions posed by students and faculty.
The purpose of the concert tour, dubbed "Billy Joel: An Evening of Questions, Answers, and a Little Music," was to give Joel small venues to expose college students to the creative process behind his music. He chose Tufts for the small size of Cohen Auditorium.
Although Concert Board members expected Joel to play for 1.5-2 hours, The Entertainer graced the stage for over three hours, talking, playing, and poking fun at everyone from George W. Bush to Gilbert and Sullivan.
During the show, Joel used "cheat sheets," consisting of large black binders filled with his music, to make sure he could tackle any request. Allowing students to choose the play list, Joel played tunes ranging from the lesser-known "Falling in the Rain" to his legendary "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant," "And So It Goes," and, of course, "Piano Man."
Tickets to the concert were sold online through the student website Tuftslife.com. The 470 tickets made available to undergraduate and graduate students sold out in 44 seconds and cost $35 each.
Joel's appearance cost the University $35,000, which was paid for with ticket revenue and the $15,000 allotted for the annual Fall Rap Show, which the Concert Board canceled in favor of Joel.
Other stops on his college tour included Princeton University, New York University, Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Georgetown.
