March 6, 2020 – The Waiting Room – Omaha, NE
On Friday night March 6th, the music of two music legends rocked the Waiting Room in Omaha, Nebraska. “Elton & Billy – The Tribute”, had music lovers and concertgoers at the Waiting Room singing along to literally decades of hits made famous by Sir Elton John and Billy Joel.
The stage was set with two pianos facing each other, simple blue and yellow lights, and flags from the United Kingdom and the United States. No opening band was needed because the concert featured over three hours of classic hits from both artists.
Andy Anderson (Elton John) and Tony Bohnenkamp (Billy Joel) were both fantastic. Their individual talents on their pianos was amazing, but together, they created magic. At some points throughout the show, I had to remind myself that it was a tribute, and that these were not the real artists. They were that good. Anderson in particular had Elton John’s mannerisms down pat.
In addition to the two main stars of the show, there were also three other talented backing musicians that played keyboards, guitar, flute, saxophone, and guitar.
The concert started with both artists at their respective pianos playing a few songs together to whip the crowd into a frenzy. From there, “Billy” exited the stage while “Elton” played classic Elton John songs spanning from the 70’s to today. A few of the highlights for me were “Benny & The Jets”, “Candle in the Wind”, and of course, “Rocket Man.” Complete with a full velvety blue suit and large sparkly glasses, Anderson had the crowd engaged from the start.
After about an hour and fifteen minutes, “Billy Joel” took the stage to give “Elton” a much-deserved rest. “Billy” (Bohnenkamp) played a slew of famous Billy Joel songs, and had the crowd on their feet once again. A few of my favorites were, “Big Shot”, “Allentown”, and an amazing version of “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” Complete a with New York Yankees baseball hat and sunglasses, Bohnenkamp nailed it.
What I most enjoyed about this concert was hearing all the classic songs I grew up with. I remember as a child, my mom and dad playing Billy Joel’s cassette tapes whenever we were in the car. Hearing those songs brought back a lot of great memories. As I got a bit older and started developing my own taste in music, I discovered the music of Elton John, and again, hearing those songs brought back a lot of great memories.
This was an amazing show with chart-topping hits from beginning to end. The concert featured songs from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s that are absolutely timeless. If you never get the chance to see the real Elton John and Billy Joel in concert, this is the next best thing. These guys are fantastic!