New York Newsday is reporting that Billy Joel is set to be the final performer at Shea Stadium, home of the New York Mets, as part of a string of concerts there before its planned demolition after the 2008 Mets season, sources said last week.

No dates are set for Joel’s Shea Stadium run, either. (Obviously, the Mets’ playoff fortunes next year could factor into that.)

Joel has already played Yankee Stadium and captured that in the concert film “Live at Yankee Stadium” in 1990, but never Shea. The number of shows is also not set, though considering Joel holds the record for his 12 sold-out shows in a single run at Madison Square Garden, making him the first musician to ever have his “number” hang there, his run could last a while.

In other Joel news, the Long Island Philharmonic also confirmed last week that it will honor Joel at its 30th annual gala as a longtime supporter of the orchestra and for his advocacy of music education.

TFL and ATBS for ticketing professionals

“I am honored and delighted to be recognized by the Philharmonic,” Joel said in a statement. “We share a common vision that music and the arts belong at the center of life. Without music education and appreciation, our children would grow up missing a vital and fundamental component to their learning experiences, something we all need to be complete human beings.”

Full Story

Vivid Seats ad with text your ticket to mindblowing over a vivid seats logo