Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast - EP 110 - Tour Retrospective: Storm Front Tour 1989-1991

EP 110 - Tour Retrospective: Storm Front Tour 1989-1991

04/23/24 • 66 min

Billy Joel’s world tour supporting the Storm Front album was a huge success by all metrics. But behind it was a story almost as tumultuous as the album title and front cover portrayed.

The tour was a necessity to earn back millions of dollars that Billy’s former manager, Frank Weber, had stolen from him over the previous few years. It also featured a revamped lineup that saw both bassist Doug Stegmeyer and guitarist Russell Javors out of the lineup for the first time since 1976.

Starting in December of 1989, Billy and the band hit the road for more than 170 shows over 16 months in 15 countries. The tour capped off Billy’s 80s run by introducing two new players who would become long-standing band members.

It also featured his landmark Yankee Stadium performances, which were commemorated in a Disney Channel & Home Video release in 1990 and a re-release on Blu-ray, CD and vinyl in 2022.

Join us as we dig deep into the Storm Front Tour.

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Email us: [email protected]

Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media:

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/
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Support the podcast:

Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod
Venmo: @MGrosvenor

Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Glass Houses Media, LLC

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Billy Joel’s world tour supporting the Storm Front album was a huge success by all metrics. But behind it was a story almost as tumultuous as the album title and front cover portrayed.

It also featured his landmark Yankee Stadium performances, which were commemorated in a Disney Channel & Home Video release in 1990 and a re-release on Blu-ray, CD and vinyl in 2022.

Join us as we dig deep into the Storm Front Tour.

------

Email us: [email protected]

Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media:

Website: https://www.glasshousespod.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/
Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/glasshousespod
Discord: https://discord.gg/6G6cMRFu7T

Support the podcast:

Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod
Venmo: @MGrosvenor

Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Glass Houses Media, LLC

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Previous Episode

EP 109 - Year In Review: 2014

2014 was a renaissance for Billy Joel. It’s almost hard to believe, given all the time he’s spent in the spotlight a decade later. But, he’d been relatively quiet in the late aughts and early 2010s. That made the flurry of activity this year all the more surprising.

Billy kicked off his Madison Square Garden residency in January of 2014, which he supported with a number of high-profile media appearances. The unprecedented run earned him plenty of press throughout the year, and his SiriusXM Radio channel debuted that spring. That all occurred alongside his regular touring schedule and other milestones.

In retrospect, the experiment that was the first year of the residency laid the foundation for the next ten years and Billy’s recent resurgence with new music, television specials, and more.

We’ll cover all that and more in this episode. And, we have a number of firsthand accounts of shows this year. Join us, as we dig deep into 2014.

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Email us: [email protected]

Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media:

Website: https://www.glasshousespod.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/
Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/glasshousespod
Discord: https://discord.gg/6G6cMRFu7T

Support the podcast:

Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod
Venmo: @MGrosvenor

Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Glass Houses Media, LLC

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Next Episode

EP 111 - Evolution Of A Song - ”The Entertainer”

The beauty of live music is that a song never sounds the same twice. Billy Joel’s no exception to this rule. And, with some songs nearly 50 years old by now, many of his older numbers have seen drastic changes over the years.

In the first installment of our Evolution of a Song series, we tracked how "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" and "Everybody Loves You Now" changed from their first appearances to their most recent.

This time, we’re reaching far back into the catalog with "The Entertainer." This was an early concert staple that got shelved for years before becoming a standard again over the last decade.

What’s also notable about this song is that the version on the Streetlife Serenade album couldn’t be replicated live. It features more and more instruments, from synthesizers to banjos, layering onto the recording with every verse.

This episode starts with a barebones live recording that predates the official recording. Then, we’ll track the song through numerous lineup changes and shows at bigger and bigger venues. Finally, we’ll finish with a performance from 2023.

Join us, as we dig deep into the evolution of "The Entertainer."

THE ENTERTAINER - Evolution of a Song Playlist

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Email us: [email protected]

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