Relive historic Billy Joel concert

Published 4:00 am Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Reason to watch: A chance to relive the historic “Last Play at Shea” concerts on July 16 and 18, 2008 — the final concerts at the stadium before it was torn down.

What’s in it: These are the performances that also formed the center of the documentary “Last Play at Shea,” only they are shown in their entirety instead of the edited versions that appeared in the film. While the documentary includes the deep tracks that Joel used for his career-spanning set list, the “Great Performances” set is almost all hits and includes special guests: the great Tony Bennett on “New York State of Mind,” Garth Brooks on “Shameless” and, of course, Paul McCartney.

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Don’t miss: When McCartney sits down at Joel’s piano to sing “Let It Be” as the final song ever at Shea Stadium, it’s a rare moment of closure in music history. McCartney and The Beatles ushered in the era of stadium rock when they played Shea in 1965 and proved to the world that rock ’n’ roll was neither a niche nor a fad. Joel’s decision to let McCartney close Shea Stadium, which, according to the documentary, happened on the fly backstage, will go down as one of rock’s most selfless acts.

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