On October 22, Billy Joel tribute band Big Shot performed at Mulcahy's Pub and Concert Hall in Wantagh on Long Island, as part of their monthly residency. The cover group is comprised of members of Billy Joel's live touring band, which include Chuck Burgi on drums and singer Mike DelGuidice on lead vocals and piano. (In Billy Joel's band, DelGuidice plays guitar and sings background vocals).
Most recently, DelGuidice was featured in an article in Rolling Stone about fronting the cover band, as well as being in Joel's live band. At Mulcahy's, the stage is named in DelGuidice's honor.
Big Shot's set-list of Billy Joel hits
Front-man Mike DelGuidice kicked off their set with "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)." "Thank you Mulcahy's. Good evening everybody. How are we doing?" DelGuidice asked the Long Island audience. It was followed by "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)," with guitarist Ken Cino on background vocals. After "Vienna," the mellow "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" featured a neat saxophone solo from Mark Fineberg.
They delivered a solid rendition of "New York State of Mind" and they picked up the pace with "My Life." They brought out the shakers for "Keeping the Faith," and DelGuidice introduced Ken Cino on guitar. Equally soothing was the moving ballad "This Is The Time."
"Goodnight Saigon" was the song that got all the fans in Mulcahy's on their feet, displaying their patriotic spirit and shouting "U.S.A." afterwards.
Their version of "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" was pure poetry, and powerful both sonically and vocally. "She's Always a Woman" was smooth, and he encouraged the Mulcahy's audience to sing along with them.
It was extremely gracious for DelGuidice to dedicate "The Downeaster Alexa" to a dedicated fan for his birthday celebration.
He delivered a captivating solo performance of this mellifluous tune.
They went on to thank Ricky Cappiello for running the lights smoothly and brilliantly.No Billy Joel tribute show is complete without their covers of "We Didn't Start The Fire," "Only The Good Die Young" and "Piano Man."
Other impressive covers by Big Shot
Aside from their Billy Joel songs, Big Shot also showed their classic rock side on Aerosmith's "Dream On," showcasing DelGuidice's piercing pipes, as well as Elton John's "Tiny Dancer," which DelGuidice played solo on piano, and they even covered Lynyrd Skynyrd's southern rock classic "Sweet Home Alabama." He tipped his hat to Paul McCartney with his stirring rendition of "Maybe I'm Amazed." "How about a little Paul McCartney for you," DelGuidice said.
Conclusion
In summation, Big Shot did Billy Joel justice, as well as all of the songs that they performed. Mike DelGuidice has one of the best singing voices of thisgeneration, and his entire band excelled as a whole.
