“And So It Goes,” the Billy Joel documentary on HBO Max is profound, inspiring, illuminating, and moving.*

Years ago, I took a songwriting class. The instructor asked us to name enduring songwriters. I named Billy Joel.

“He’s not a songwriter for the ages,“ she said.

“Really?” I said. “Have you ever been to one of his concerts?“

“No,“ she replied.

“Well, at some point in every show, he and the band play Piano Man. And at some point in the song, they all stop playing, and the entire audience of 20, 30, or 50,000 people, depending on the venue, sings the entire chorus for them.“

If that’s not enduring songwriting, I don’t know what is.

The Stranger is arguably my favorite of his albums. Too many favorite songs to name though. Special place in my heart for Scenes from an Italian restaurant, Vienna, James, Angry Young Man, Only the Good Die Young, Ballad of Billy the Kid, Big Man on Mulberry Street, I’ve Loved these Days, the Entertainer, Summer Highland Falls, Miami 2017, Captain Jack, and of course, New York State of Mind. Those are a few that I adore.

If you at all like Billy Joel, run don’t walk to watch it. Part one came out last week. Part two comes out on Friday. It’s unflinching. It’ll give you a taste of what a working musician‘s life is really like.

Billy is the musician I’ve seen perform most. I stopped counting at 15 times. Some shows I saw multiple times. Many of those were with my friend John Qudeen.

 I just remembered the day I got The Bridge album (in 1986). I called John and told him he had to come over. And I played Big Man on Mulberry Street for him. And we both did little else that evening except drink and play that song on repeat. 

And, now that I live in New York City, I’ve found myself on Mulberry north of Hester and south of Grand, and yes, I took a moment to honor the moment. If you want to know why that’s important, listen to Big Man on Mulberry Street.

So grateful to Sean Eustis and C for inviting me to Madison Square Garden for the May 9 2024 show at Madison Square Garden. It was Billy’s 75th birthday. And of course, what was he doing? Gigging.

Because that’s what working musicians, and writers for that matter, do. They work.

*Special shoutout to the all-woman creative team.