On April 14, Dueling Pianos, comprised of Mark Weiser and Matthew Friedman, performed at Burgerology Midtown, for an intimate audience.
Their “Shake Rattle & Roll” show was highly eclectic covering a wide spectrum of genres, which included country, rock and roll, rockabilly, pop, reggae, and adult contemporary.
Mark Weiser noted that between him and Friedman they know over 5,000 songs. Matthew Friedman is known for his work on the Billy Joel musical “Movin’ Out” on Broadway.
They sang “Happy Birthday” to a woman in the audience named Eileen, and then, they segued into “Come On Eileen.” They also paid homage to Sir Mix-a-Lot with “Baby Got Back.”
It was followed by the disco anthem “Dancing Queen” by ABBA, where the audience members were dancing along with them. “Give these dancers a round of applause,” Weiser said.
Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” was yet another neat singalong tune. They also paid tribute to Journey with the inspirational “Don’t Stop Believin’,” which is the most downloaded song of all time.
An audience member came up and sang lead vocals on “New York State of Mind” by Billy Joel while they accompanied him on the piano. They got their “punk rock” clap going on with a rousing rendition of “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” by Dropkick Murphys.
Equally memorable was their take on Rod Stewart’s “Forever Young.” For another birthday in the house, they performed it in a true 50 Cent rap fashion with “In the Club.”
It was followed by a cover of The Beatles’ “I Saw Her Standing There” and an enthralling take on “Great Balls of Fire,” where everybody was clapping along. This was a fitting tribute to Jerry Lee Lewis, which was affectionately known as “The Killer” and “rock and roll’s first great wild man.”
For some extra fun they threw in “Baby Shark” in the mix, as well as Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird” and Kelly Clarkson’s unapologetic “Since U Been Gone.”
Prior to performing Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” they acknowledged that it is one of the most difficult songs to play; moreover, they invited the audience to help them out by reciting the lyrics (if they knew them).
They continued with Billy Joel’s “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant,” and the Aerosmith power-ballad “Sweet Emotion,” prior to reprising “Baby Shark.”
Most recently, in honor of fallen NYPD officer Jonathan Diller, which made headlines worldwide, all Burgerology locations served a free burger for all officers in uniform.
The Verdict
Overall, Dueling Pianos put on a joyous and fun brunch show at Burgerology Midtown in the heart of New York. It is recommended that one sees them live when they are in town.
At the same time, Burgerology Midtown provided a warm and intimate setting of a show of this caliber (compliments to General Manager Daniel Belzman and the team). The Dueling Pianos set garnered two thumbs up. Well done.
To learn more about Dueling Pianos and their upcoming shows, check out their official website.
