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Tonight marks the end of an era: after over 10 years, the iconic Billy Joel will play his 150th concert at Madison Square Garden, marking the conclusion of his historical residency at the arena. To celebrate his astounding on-site tenure and legendary career, MSG has set up a number of activations that fans are already rushing to.
The offerings are multifaceted, starting with "Billy Joel 150," a merch-focused pop-up accessible by all, and not just folks with a ticket to tonight's final show. Browse through embroidered varsity jackets, screen prints, tote bags, mugs, hats, posters, T-shirts and more, all emblazoned with Joel's face or some of his most noteworthy lyrics.
Also on site is a "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant"-themed concession stand that calls out to one of the artist's most famous tracks. Concert ticket holders can order from a custom menu of Italian specialties that include chicken vodka parm heroes and cannoli.
March up to the sixth floor concourse to enjoy photo ops and write Joel a message that he may or may not read (it's worth a shot, though!).
Also on the sixth floor starting today and running indefinitely will be a new "Defining Moments" exhibit showcasing memorabilia from the artist's 150 shows—including his signature Ray-Bans, harmonicas, set lists and more—and a signed replica of one of the performance banners featuring Joel that are currently hanging from the arena's rafters.
The exhibition joins a larger roster of similar displays that take over both the sixth and eighth floors of MSG, focusing on the venue’s long history.
Featured memorabilia pieces include ones pertaining to the Fight of the Century fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in 1971, the New York Kicks’ first championship win in 1970 and more. Think of it as a show about MSG’s impact on the country’s cultural psyche—housed in MSG itself.
But back to Joel: New Yorkers and out-of-towners have been flocking to see him take the stage once a month since 2014, when he kicked off the first ever MSG residency in history. His departure will obviously leave a hole in the city's musical scene and we already miss him so, but here is to hoping a new talent will take over the regular gig.