In celebration of 50 years of Billy Joel, the renowned concert film “Billy Joel: Live at Yankee Stadium” will be released in theaters worldwide on October 5th and 9th. The legendary 1990 concert is one of the greatest concert films of all time. Originally shot in 16mm film, it has been re-mixed and re-edited in 4k with Dolby ATMOS audio.
The new version includes “Uptown Girl” along with behind the scenes footage not seen in the original release. The film initially premiered on basic cable’s Disney channel on March 17, 1991. It was also released on VHS later that year and nominated for a long form video Grammy Award.
Last month Billy and his wife Alexis attended a preview of the film at the renovated Sag Harbor Cinema. Joel stepped up to help save the theater after it was destroyed in a village fire in 2016. The cinema stood there for more than 100 years and was the center of the downtown. It reopened in June of 2021 complete with state of the art projectors and sound systems.
Also in attendance were band members Dave Rosenthal, Tommy Byrnes, Crystal Taliefero and Mike DelGuidice. It was surreal for me to watch the film with the man himself sitting just a few feet away. The crowd in the 240 seat theater applauded after each song making it feel more like a live concert rather than a movie.
After the film concluded, there was a Q&A with director Jon Small and producers Steve Cohen and John Jackson. After a few questions from fans, Joel raised his hand to ask… “When do we get something to eat? I’m starving!.” As I left the theater another surreal moment happened when I saw Sir Paul McCartney entering the lobby with his wife Nancy to meet Billy.
Tickets to the October viewings of “Billy Joel: Live at Yankee Stadium” can be purchased here.
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