Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 12:57:43 -0500
Message-Id: <199311081757.MAA00145@chaos.bsu.edu>
From: joel@chaos.bsu.edu
To: joel@chaos.bsu.edu (Billy Joel Fan Club)
Reply-To: joel@chaos.bsu.edu
Subject: DC Show 11/4/93!
Sender: joel-request@chaos.bsu.edu

X-Author: Vernon H Harmon <vh00+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Well, Friday was my girlfriend's 20th birthday, and I took
off Thursday and Friday from work so that I could take her
to DC (she'd never been there). I got home Thursday afternoon
("home" is MD, but I now live in Pittsburgh) to find quite a
surprise: my best friend, my parents and my girlfriend had
conspired to get tickets to see BJ Thursday night! (my birthday
is later this month) Needless to say, I was THRILLED!!!

SPOILERS follow regarding the setlist, the set and merchandise.

first, the setlist:

(over loudspeakers as intro)
Take Me Out To The Ballgame/Theme from The Natural

A Matter Of Trust
No Man's Land
Pressure
Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)
The River Of Dreams
Prelude/Angry Young Man
Allentown
Scenes From An Italian Restaurant
My Life
I Go To Extremes
An Innocent Man
Beer Barrel Polka!!!! (on accordian, of course)
Downeaster Alexa
Goodnight Saigon
We Didn't Start The Fire
(first few lines of the Doors' Roadhouse Blues leading into)
It's Still Rock And Roll To Me
You May Be Right
(band left stage, but BJ stayed on and called them back for encore)
Only The Good Die Young
(all left stage, returned for second encore)
Big Shot
(all left stage, returned for third encore)
Piano Man

It was about the same stage set-up as from the Storm Front Tour -- flat
main stage, with a ramped walkway going from stage left, around the
back of the main stage and back down to stage right. One big
difference that's immediately noticeable, though (and this may SPOIL
the surprise for you, if you haven't seen it yet!) is that there
are NO INSTRUMENTS on the stage before the concert starts! The drum
kit, the Grand Piano (both of them!), the keyboards, the guitar stacks,
everything is raised on hydraulics from underneath the stage! Plus,
the Grand Piano is now mounted on a motorized swivel! (the second
Grand Piano is also raised from below the stage, but comes up at the
very back of the stage, on the raised walkway!)

Merchandise:
o    blue denim button-down shirt with "Billy Joel River Of Dreams Tour"
     and a man in a motor-boat embroidered over the shirt pocket ($50)
o    short-sleeve t-shirt with the album cover *completely* covering the
     front and back of the shirt (I think it looks awesome!) ($35)
o    black t-shirt with "Billy Joel River Of Dreams World Tour 1993" on
     the front, with the first verse of TRoD on it -- back has "The Journey
     Begins" and cities on it ($25)
o    white t-shirt with small reproduction of RoD cover on it -- back has
     a painting of the earth with the words "World Tour 1993-1994" ($25)
o    long-sleeve tan shirt with "Billy Joel River Of Dreams Tour" on front
     with 5 little picture-shapes on it -- nothing on back ($35)
o    ocean blue t-shirt with painting of Billy in suit and tie on front
     with ocean in background -- back has "Billy Joel River Of Dreams
     Tour" on it ($25)
o    long white "night shirt" with cut-out images from the album cover
     scattered on it and lines from "Lullabye" all over it ($35)
o    tour program ($15)

there may also have been things like hats and patches, but I ignore those
things. They were giving out free brochures containing info on "Billy Joel
River Of Dreams Merchandise" (one is included in the tour program) which
has all of the above merchandise in it *EXCEPT* the t-shirt with the album
cover completely covering the front and back. The prices quoted in the
brochure are cheaper than those at the concert, but the brochure prices
don't include S&H and State Sales Tax (all of which you have to add to your
order). If you folks are interested, I can post all the ordering info
from the brochure.

All in all it was another great concert! I can't wait for him to announce
a Pittsburgh date! (btw, he said the tour would last at least another
year-and-a-half, and that he'd try to make it back to DC again)

--Vernon.