Indianapolis State of Mind ISO plays the music of Billy Joel Concert Review

Michael Cavanaugh

Conner Prairie was more packed than I had ever seen it. Dinnertime picnics were drifting into the center aisles as people packed in to see the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra play the music of Billy Joel. The concert had such a large attendance that ushers ran out of programs. But for most of the crowd, programs were not needed. The songs that were played were so well known that audience members of all ages could be found mouthing the lyrics.

Michael Cavanaugh, a rising super nova in the music industry, kept the audience enthralled with his riveting performance as he belted out Billy Joel classics such as “Uptown Girl” and “River of Dreams.” His voice had an incredibly similar resemblance to his mentor, Billy Joel. In fact, Joel handpicked Cavanaugh after seeing him perform at a dueling piano bar in Las Vegas. Joel approached Cavanaugh after the concert and gave him a life-changing opportunity: to back up his bags at New York, New York Casino and move to the real New York City to perform in Joel’s Broadway musical, Movin’ Out.

I was extremely impressed by the symphony bringing in such American classics to their summer series. It helps expose the general population to a symphony in a pop culture kind of way. The music came alive with every bow stroke and percussion drum. But as much as this was an ISO concert, Cavanaugh truly stole the show.

Cavanaugh’s passion was evident in all the songs that were played, but the true indicator of his musicianship was his technical reign over the piano. This was evident when he played a non-Billy Joel piece, “Great Balls of Fire.” The audience went wild when he played the piece in true Jerry Lee Lewis style, even playing the piano with his foot! His talent was reconfirmed when he picked up an electric guitar and began accompanying himself.

The biggest disappointment of the concert was the classical piano concertos that Billy Joel wrote in 1990 when he was at Julliard. Conductor Jack Everly arranged a few pieces throughout the night, but “Waltz No. 1” was so poorly arranged that it should have been titled “Potty Break Waltz” because much of the audience left their picnic blankets to use the restroom during that song alone. What was more disturbing to me is that Billy Joel wrote the waltz specifically for the piano, yet Everly did not use the piano at all, instead transposing it to full orchestra.

The audience’s attention was regained as members returned to their lawn chairs from the restrooms as “Goodnight Saigon” began. The percussion was right on target, and ISO members played their instruments with an eerie resemblance to gunshots and bombs with every mallet pound. The powerful words of the song, “we would all go down together” could be easily felt through Cavanaugh’s voice exhibiting the pain that the song dictates over the thick sound effects of helicopters.

After the intermission, the mood was lightened by a slew of upbeat familiar Joel songs. The audience ran down the center pavement toward the stage to celebrate the music and dance. As the ISO began to play “River of Dreams,” more and more audience members danced their way to the stage that the concert began to resemble a musical itself. It was wonderful to witness the carefree dancing of young and old to such timeless Joel classics.

No Joel concert would be complete without “Piano Man.” As Cavanaugh played, the audience pulled out their lighters and cell phones and joined in unison song as they swayed to the sweet musical genius of Billy Joel.

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by Tory Flynn