MOVIN' OUT: JOEL'S GARDEN GOODBYE

With no Knicks or Rangers games to interfere with a photo op, a crew of dignitaries gathered at Madison Square Garden in the hopes that Billy Joel would explain exactly who the characters are in “Piano Man” before the end of his franchise run in July 2024.

Joel, who turned 74 last month, took a seat on the Garden’s sidelines after his 150th performance there. He will begin his final, 10-show run on 10/20.

“I'm kind of flabbergasted that it lasted as long as it did. My team tells me that we could continue to sell tickets, but 10 years, 150 shows—all right already!” Joel said. “I do remember that the first time we played Madison Square Garden it was the pinnacle of my career. I thought, ‘My God, I'm headlining Madison Square Garden.’ Everybody in the world knows when you play The Garden, it's not just New York. To our audience, I want to thank them for coming to our shows for this long. It's hard to end, even at 150 lifetime shows. I just want to thank everyone for the wonderful thing that's happened here.”

Joel’s first performance at the Garden was on 12/14/78. He set a record for “most consecutive performances by any artist,” with 12, in 2006. He became MSG’s first music franchise in December 2013. In July 2015, with his 65th lifetime show, Joel broke another record, for “most lifetime performances by any artist.” He has been honored with banners hanging from the rafters alongside hoops stars whose careers began around the time Joel was releasing his early albums.

Seen right after a group chant of “Bardot, Budapest, Alabama, Krushchev” are, from left, MSG Entertainment EVP Josephine Vaccarello, New York Rangers legend Henrik Lundqvist, Joel, MSG Entertainment Executive Chairman and CEO James L. Dolan, NYC Mayor Eric Adams and Q104.3 host Jim Kerr.

After the photo shoot, Lundqvist noticed the similarities between aromas of the road crew and the Rangers’ post-game locker room.