On Sunday, July 25th, John Arden brought his Billy Joel tribute act to Joanne Trattoria in the Upper West Side of New York City.
Act I
The show was divided into two acts. He kicked it off with the unapologetic “My Life” and immediately broke into the infectious “Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)” and “Big Shot.”
Arden subsequently proclaimed “You’re My Home” as one of the “prettiest Billy Joel songs” out there, and rightfully so. For the couples in the venue, he dedicated “She’s Got a Way” to them.
It was followed by the powerhouse tune “New York State of Mind” and for a pregnant lady in the audience, he dedicated the joyous ditty “Baby Shark” to her.
After “The Ballad Of Billy The Kid,” he had the audience singing along with him to “Piano Man,” which resonated well with the Billy Joel fans that gathered at Joanne Trattoria.
Act II
After a brief intermission, he returned to the patio to perform “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant,” and he put on his “Elton John” hat for memorable renditions of “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time)” and “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters.”
“Are you guys having a good time?” he inquired, and they answered back “hell yeah.” “What a great night in New York City,” he exclaimed.
Equally fun were Elton John’s “Crocodile Rock,” as well as “Captain Jack” and a distinct version of Poison’s “Every Rose Has Its Thorn.”
Of course, no Billy Joel set is complete without the power-ballad “Vienna,” “Say Goodbye to Hollywood,” “Movin’ Out,” and “I Go to Extremes,” and Arden delivered in his show tonight in a charming fashion.
Interview
Prior to his show at Joanne Trattoria, John Arden sat down for an interview with this journalist at this Italian-American restaurant, which is owned by Joe Germanotta, Lady Gaga’s father and partner of Second Wind Media (along with Gabby Gabriel).
On being at Joanne Trattoria, he said, “It feels great to be here. It’s a sold-out show and the energy is great. I always look forward to doing the great music of Billy Joel, and I am very grateful to be here.”
“I do all the classics from ‘New York State of Mind’ to ‘Piano Man’ to ‘She’s Got a Way’ to you name it,” he added.
Arden is drawn to Billy Joel’s music for several reasons. “As a piano player, I love his songwriting and the chords,” he said. “I grew up with his music and I have always been passionate about it. My background is doing Billy Joel shows and ‘Dueling Pianos’ where I can interact with the crowd.”
On being an artist in the digital age, he responded, “I am an older artist, and I don’t know much about the digital age. It may have passed me by a bit, but I have been lucky to put on great performances and I am blessed to work with world-class musicians.”
While he has been performing for a very long time, to this day, he still loves what he does.
Arden listed “She’s Got a Way” and “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant” as his favorite Billy Joel songs to perform live.
For young and emerging artists, he said, “The biggest and best investment you can make is on yourself. Get the best equipment, and get a good PA system. Perfect your craft. Whether it’s in music or business, and betting on yourself is the best investment you can make.”
For his fans and supporters, he said, “I have been a big promoter of Billy Joel and Dueling Pianos, and I have assembled some great musicians and people have followed me and it has been continuous, sold-out shows and that has been very humbling, so thank you for being a part of this ride! It has been a lot of fun.”
To learn more about John Arden, check out his official website.
