DelGuidice opened his set with “Big Shot,” as the stage was graced in red lights, and went on to give a shout out to The Paramount. He was refreshing on the upbeat “Pressure” and went on to greet the crowd. “Paramount. Good evening. How are you guys doing? Any Billy Joel fans in the house?” he asked.
He incorporated “My Life” as a sing-along, as orange and blue lights dimmed on the stage, and the fans were clapping along. He continued with the piano-driven ballad “Captain Jack,” which was an “epic” Billy Joel tune that Big Shot turned into a modern masterpiece.
DelGuidice showed his spitfire side in “Movin Out” and immediately broke into “Sometimes a Fantasy,” which had neat hooks. “Salud. Cheers everybody. Thank you for coming out to our second sold out show,” he said, graciously.
“Say Goodbye to Hollywood,” featured blue and green lights, where guitarist Tommy Byrnes nailed the guitar and background vocals. DelGuidice was able to put The Paramount in a “New York State of Mind” by delivering a powerhouse performance of the classic, coupled with John Scarpulla’s impressive saxophone playing.
“Scenes From an Italian Restaurant” was equally amazing, and it displayed the band’s talent as a whole, and it went on to earn them a deserving standing ovation. DelGuidice went on to cover Aerosmith’s “Dream On,” which he dedicated to Donald Trump, and he immediately broke into Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” where he channeled Robert Plant and was able to succeed.
DelGuidice walked away from the piano, and accompanied himself on acoustic guitar and performed a glorious version of “The Downeaster Alexa.” He continued with a soothing and nostalgic cover of James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain,” which was equal in excellence to the original.
“All right, Paramount. Are you ready?” he asked, prior to playing a hypnotic version of “She’s Always a Woman” and it was followed by a spellbinding rendition of Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer,” both of which he performed solo, and the band came in towards the end of “Tiny Dancer” for a big finish.
“Keeping the Faith” was another noteworthy sing-along, where DelGuidice praised the Paramount audience for being “really good.” “God bless,” he exclaimed, in awe of their singing.
The highlight vocal of the evening was his electrifying version of “We Didn’t Start The Fire,” which featured a killer electric guitar solo from Byrnes, as well as Byrnes’ rich, baritone backing vocals.
It was followed by “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” and he closed with “Only The Good Die Young” and Joel’s autobiographical “Piano Man.”
The Verdict
Overall, Mike DelGuidice and Big Shot were phenomenal at The Paramount. He showcased his versatility as an artist and multi-instrumentalist. DelGuidice’s voice was powerful whenever it required the belting notes, and soothing, in the gentle ballads, and was able to sing all the classic tunes with ease and soul. Tommy Byrnes, Chuck Burgi, John Scarpulla, Nick Dimichino and Carmine Giglio were all remarkable musicians. Most impressive about this concert is that it was a show for all ages, which included young children, adults and older fans, thus proving that Billy Joel’s musical catalog is simply illustrious. If one has yet to see Big Shot perform live, then one’s musical bucket list is not complete. Their latest Paramount concert garnered 5 out of 5 stars.
To learn more about Big Shot and their 2016 touring dates, visit their official website.
