Syracuse University students will be in a New York state of mind next March when piano man Billy Joel performs live at the Carrier Dome.

Pat Campbell, managing director of the Carrier Dome, announced at a news conference Monday that Joel will perform at SU as part of the Dome’s 25th anniversary celebration. Joel was a ‘hands-down favorite’ and SU’s only choice to continue the Dome’s anniversary celebration, he said.

‘This is his first solo major concert tour in seven years,’ said Debra Rathwell, senior vice president of AEG Live, the concert promotion and touring company. With 33 Top 40 hits, 140 million records sold and his Tony Award-winning musical, ‘Movin’ Out,’ Joel will certainly excite his fans in Syracuse, she said.

Campbell said SU will use Joel’s show to get the ball rolling in bringing more performers to the Dome.

The reason the Dome has been unable to book performers in the past few years is due to changes made within the concert industry, Campbell said. With amphitheaters opening up all over the country, it became increasingly difficult to attract performers.

Rathwell said performers were not purposefully avoiding the Dome, but rather no one had put the Dome on his or her radar.

Carole Brzozowski, dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, said she is very appreciative of AEG Live’s efforts to bring Joel’s performance to campus.

‘I want to thank AEG Live for bringing Billy Joel to Syracuse,’ she said. ‘This concert means a lot to this campus and the Syracuse community.’

Tickets for Joel’s ‘My Lives’ show on March 25 will go on sale starting at 10 a.m. Dec. 10. All tickets will cost $39.50. There will be no discounted student rate. The ticket price reflects the same price as his last performance at the Dome on Dec. 11, 1998, Rathwell said.

She said the $39.50 ticket price was Joel’s own idea. The price came directly from his office and is for his fans at SU and the surrounding community. In comparison, tickets for Joel’s ‘My Lives’ performances at Madison Square Garden will cost $89.50, she said.

The Dome will be configured similarly to the shared bill performance of Billy Joel and Elton John on May 5, 2001. The Dome’s capacity will be close to 40,000, Campbell said.

Heather Williamson, a freshman illustration major and a longtime fan of Joel, said she is excited he is coming to Syracuse.

‘Billy Joel has released some of the best music of all time. I can’t wait to see him perform live,’ she said.

Published on November 27, 2005 at 12:00 pm