Billy Joel is New York, But He’s Very Familiar With Connecticut

Did you know that the video for Billy Joel's 'River of Dreams' was filmed here in Connecticut?

I just finished watching all five hours of the incredible 'Billy Joel: And So it Goes' on HBO, and it's a must-see for even casual fans of Billy and his music. The documentary is in two parts, the first focuses on his early life and career, while part 2 picks up with the Nylon Curtain-era up to the present. While watching I noticed that there are a few references to Connecticut.

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Billy Joel is Long Island, and scenes from the documentary show his home at the mouth of Sag Harbor under construction. Connecticut shows up though, in part 2 of the documentary, Joel talks about the early days of his marriage to Christie Brinkley and a road trip that they took up to Maine. Somehow on the way from Long Island to Maine they ended up near Bantam Lake, which Joel points out to Brinkley on a map while the camera swings over to a brief flash of the shoreline.

Remember 'Songs In the Attic' By Billy Joel? Los Angelenos was Recorded at Toad's

Here's another Connecticut connection: Joel has released the 155-song soundtrack to the documentary on streaming platforms, and track #46 is Los Angelenos - recorded in July 1980 at Toad's Place in New Haven. The track originally appeared on Joel's "Songs in the Attic' Billy's first live album released in 1981.

I've been lucky enough to see Billy perform a few times over the years in Connecticut, at the Hartford Civic Center (Solo and with Elton), Mohegan Sun Arena, and the New Haven Coliseum. I never got to see him during his run at Madison Square Garden, but I was able to see his show at Fenway Park in Boston in 2017.