Storm Front Tour Explained

Concert Tour Name:Storm Front Tour
Album:Storm Front
Artist:Billy Joel
Location:North America • Europe • Oceania • Asia
Start Date:December 2, 1989
End Date:March 24, 1991
Number Of Legs:8
Number Of Shows:172
Last Tour:The Bridge Tour
(1986–87)
This Tour:Storm Front Tour
(1989–91)
Next Tour:River of Dreams Tour
(1993–95)

The Storm Front Tour was a 1989–1991 concert tour by singer-songwriter Billy Joel. This tour was the first tour by Joel in two years.

Background

The recording of the album, which commenced in 1988, coincided with major changes in Joel's career and inaugurated a period of serious upheaval in his business affairs. In August 1989, just before the Storm Front album was released, Joel dismissed his manager (and former brother-in-law) Frank Weber after an audit revealed major discrepancies in Weber's accounting. Joel subsequently sued Weber for US$90 million, claiming fraud and breach of fiduciary duty. Because of this, Joel was in a huge financial gap, and to make the money back Joel toured extensively for a year and a half.

The album's producer Mick Jones gave Joel the idea of using different musicians on the album. Because of this, this tour marked a lot of changes with the band. Gone were Doug Stegmeyer on bass guitar, Russell Javors on rhythm guitar, David Lebolt on keyboards, and Peter Hewlett and George Simms on backing vocals. They were replaced by Schuyler Deale on bass guitar, Mindy Jostyn on violin and guitar (who was replaced with Tommy Byrnes on rhythm guitar partway through the tour), Jeff Jacobs on keyboards and Crystal Taliefero on percussion, saxophone, and guitar.

Following a rehearsal gig at the Suffolk County Police Academy in Westhampton, New York on December 2, 1989,[1] the tour kicked off in Worcester, Massachusetts on December 6, 1989, and ended in Mexico City, Mexico on March 24, 1991.

The two concerts at Yankee Stadium on June 22 and 23, 1990 were professionally filmed for the video special , which was released in late 1990 and given a limited theatrical release in October 2022.[2]

Tour dates

DateCityCountryVenue
North America
December 2, 1989 United States Suffolk County Police Academy
December 6, 1989 The Centrum
December 8, 1989
December 9, 1989
December 12, 1989
December 13, 1989
December 17, 1989 The Spectrum
December 18, 1989
December 21, 1989 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
December 22, 1989
December 27, 1989
December 29, 1989
December 31, 1989
January 2, 1990 Hartford Civic Center
January 4, 1990
January 5, 1990
January 8, 1990
January 10, 1990 Capital Centre
January 11, 1990
January 14, 1990 Philadelphia The Spectrum
January 15, 1990
January 29, 1990
January 30, 1990
February 2, 1990 Carrier Dome
February 3, 1990
February 6, 1990 Canada Maple Leaf Gardens
February 8, 1990United States The Palace of Auburn Hills
February 9, 1990
February 12, 1990 Rosemont Horizon
February 13, 1990
February 16, 1990 Rupp Arena
February 18, 1990 Market Square Arena
February 19, 1990
February 22, 1990Auburn Hills The Palace of Auburn Hills
February 23, 1990
February 26, 1990 Richfield Coliseum
March 2, 1990 Charlotte Coliseum
March 3, 1990 Landover Capital Centre
March 6, 1990 Florida Suncoast Dome[3]
March 8, 1990 Miami Miami Arena
March 9, 1990
March 12, 1990
March 13, 1990
March 16, 1990
March 17, 1990
March 31, 1990 Los Angeles Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
April 2, 1990
April 3, 1990
April 6, 1990
April 8, 1990
April 9, 1990 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum
April 13, 1990
April 15, 1990 Tacoma Dome
April 17, 1990 Oakland Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena
April 21, 1990 McNichols Sports Arena
April 23, 1990 Rosemont Rosemont Horizon
April 24, 1990
Europe
May 5, 1990 Germany Sporthalle
May 7, 1990 Festhalle
May 9, 1990 Olympiahalle
May 11, 1990 Italy PalaTrussardi
May 15, 1990 Germany Alsterdorfer Sporthalle
May 17, 1990 Ahoy
May 19, 1990 Valby-Hallen
May 21, 1990 London England Wembley Arena
May 22, 1990
May 25, 1990
May 26, 1990
May 29, 1990
May 30, 1990
June 2, 1990 Ireland RDS Arena
North America
June 17, 1990 United States Coca-Cola Star Lake Amphitheater
June 18, 1990
June 19, 1990 Giants Stadium
June 22, 1990 Yankee Stadium
June 23, 1990
June 27, 1990 Providence Civic Center
June 29, 1990
June 30, 1990
July 3, 1990 Omni Coliseum
July 5, 1990
July 7, 1990 Orlando Arena
July 8, 1990
July 11, 1990 Greensboro Coliseum
July 13, 1990 Landover Capital Centre
July 15, 1990
July 17, 1990 Richfield Richfield Coliseum
July 21, 1990 Riverfront Coliseum
July 23, 1990 St. Louis Arena
July 24, 1990
August 2, 1990 Canada Olympic Saddledome
August 5, 1990 Pacific Coliseum
August 6, 1990 United States Portland Memorial Coliseum
August 9, 1990 Canada Winnipeg Arena
August 11, 1990 United States Alpine Valley Music Theatre
August 12, 1990 Cincinnati Riverfront Coliseum
August 15, 1990 Hersheypark Stadium
August 18, 1990 East Rutherford Giants Stadium
August 19, 1990
August 22, 1990 Canada Montreal Forum
August 23, 1990 Copps Coliseum
August 29, 1990 United States Jones Beach Theater
September 4, 1990
September 5, 1990
Europe
September 28, 1990 Germany Westfalenhallen
September 29, 1990 Waldbühne
October 4, 1990 Messehalle
October 5, 1990 Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle
October 8, 1990 Forest National
October 10, 1990 England NEC Arena
October 11, 1990
October 13, 1990 Rotterdam Netherlands Ahoy
October 16, 1990 Frankfurt Germany Festhalle
October 17, 1990 Switzerland Hallenstadion
October 20, 1990 Sporthalle
October 25, 1990 Italy Palazzo dello Sport
North America
November 7, 1990 United States San Diego Sports Arena
November 9, 1990 Desert Sky Pavilion
November 11, 1990 Salt Palace
November 13, 1990 Target Center
November 15, 1990
November 16, 1990
November 19, 1990
November 21, 1990 Kemper Arena
November 23, 1990 The Summit
November 25, 1990 Reunion Arena
November 27, 1990 Frank Erwin Center
November 28, 1990 Houston The Summit
December 1, 1990 Hilton Coliseum
December 2, 1990
December 6, 1990 Indianapolis Market Square Arena
December 8, 1990 Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
December 9, 1990 Knickerbocker Arena
December 12, 1990 Civic Arena
December 13, 1990 Buffalo Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
December 16, 1990 Albany Knickerbocker Arena
December 17, 1990
December 18, 1990
Asia
January 2, 1991 Tokyo Japan Tokyo Dome
January 3, 1991
January 6, 1991 Osaka-jō Hall
January 7, 1991
January 10, 1991
January 12, 1991
January 13, 1991 Osaka Osaka-jō Hall
January 15, 1991 Naval Base Subic Bay
January 16, 1991 Clark Air Base
Oceania
January 22, 1991 Australia Sydney Entertainment Centre
January 23, 1991
January 26, 1991
January 27, 1991
January 30, 1991
February 1, 1991
February 2, 1991
February 6, 1991 Brisbane Entertainment Centre
February 8, 1991
February 9, 1991
February 12, 1991 Memorial Drive Park
February 16, 1991 Subiaco Oval
February 20, 1991 National Tennis Centre
February 21, 1991
February 24, 1991
February 25, 1991
February 28, 1991
March 2, 1991 Sydney Sydney Entertainment Centre
March 4, 1991
March 5, 1991
March 10, 1991
North America
March 19, 1991 Mexico Palacio de los Deportes[4]
March 20, 1991
March 23, 1991
March 24, 1991
Post-tour shows
August 8, 1991 United States Deep Hallow Ranch
August 9, 1991
October 21, 1991 New York City Madison Square Garden
October 22, 1991

Setlist

This setlist is from the June 22, 1990 show at Yankee Stadium. It does not represent all the dates throughout the tour.[5]

  1. "Storm Front"
  2. "Allentown"
  3. "Prelude/Angry Young Man"
  4. "Take Me Out to the Ball Game"
  5. "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant"
  6. "The Downeaster "Alexa""
  7. "Goodnight Saigon"
  8. "I Go to Extremes"
  9. "Pressure"
  10. "My Life"
  11. "An Innocent Man"
  12. "Shameless"
  13. "We Didn't Start the Fire"
  14. "Shout"
  15. "Uptown Girl"
  16. "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me"
  17. "You May Be Right"
  18. "Only the Good Die Young"
  19. "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)"
  20. "A Matter of Trust"
  21. "Big Shot"
  22. "New York State of Mind"
  23. "Piano Man"

Personnel

Notes and References

  1. Wild . David . Billy Joel on Fire, Again: The Rolling Stone Interview . January 6, 2024 . Rolling Stone . January 25, 1990.
  2. Web site: 'Billy Joel: Live At Yankee Stadium' In Cinemas Worldwide In October . January 6, 2024 . Billy Joel . August 3, 2022.
  3. News: STORM FRONT' ROLLS IN // He might tour because he has to, but Billy Joel has fun . 2024-01-07 . Tampa Bay Times . en.
  4. Web site: 2011-06-23 . Reflections Of Yankee Stadium: June 22nd and 23rd, 1990 . 2024-01-07 . Billy Joel Official Site . en-US.
  5. Web site: Billy Joel Setlist at Yankee Stadium, The Bronx. setlist.fm. en. January 7, 2024.