Andrew McMahon performed 'Piano Man' at a Billy Joel tribute concert at Carnegie Hall on March 12, with the singer watching from the opera box. The event marked a full-circle moment for McMahon, whose musical journey began with Joel's music in 1994. He also announced an upcoming solo show with the Colorado Symphony.
Andrew McMahon's connection to Billy Joel dates back to 1994, when, as a sixth grader, he attended his first concert: Joel's River of Dreams tour at the Richfield Coliseum in Cleveland, a Christmas gift from his parents. They also provided him with Billy Joel’s Greatest Hits – Volume I & Volume II as study material when he began playing piano, telling him it was essential for a piano singer-songwriter. McMahon had opened for Joel in 2017, but on March 12, he performed at The Music of Billy Joel tribute at Carnegie Hall—his first time at the venue—with Joel observing from the opera box. 'Jesus man, what a night,' McMahon told Rolling Stone. 'It was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever done, but it was one of the most magical moments I’ve had on a stage in my whole life. Getting to finish and then look up in the seats and see him do a standing ovation is pretty incredible.' He wore a harmonica holder for the first time, rehearsed on his Holiday From Real cruise, and initially hesitated to choose 'Piano Man,' considering alternatives like 'We Didn’t Start the Fire,' 'Pressure,' or 'Captain Jack.' No other artist selected it, so he performed it. McMahon announced a solo orchestral show on November 13 at Boettcher Concert Hall in Denver’s Denver Performing Arts Complex with the Colorado Symphony, led by music director Peter Oundijan, resident conductor Christopher Dragon, associate conductor Wilbur Lin, and conductor laureate Marin Alsop. Titled 'Strings Attached Featuring Andrew McMahon and the Colorado Symphony,' it is the 17th annual benefit for the Dear Jack Foundation, founded by McMahon in 2006 after surviving acute lymphocytic leukemia at age 22. Tickets go on sale April 3, with VIP details forthcoming. The event celebrates the foundation’s approaching 20th anniversary, amid rising cancer rates among adolescents and young adults. McMahon aims to make live shows unique, moving beyond nostalgia from recent Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin reunion tours.
