I’ve just learned that Last Play at Shea, Spitfire Production’s documentary film about Billy Joel, Shea Stadium, the Mets, and Joel’s historic final concert at Shea Stadium, is going to have its world premiere next month at the Tribeca Film Festival. I am in the film, as a talking head. I haven’t seen it, but when I signed a waiver allowing my image to be used, an associate producer told me that I am actually in it and did not end up on the cutting room floor. I am and all Mets fans should be excited by this film because the sense I had from the filmmakers is that Billy Joel wanted this to be more than just a concert pic. He also wanted it to be about a historic building about to be demolished and the people who had lived such important moments of their lives in it. Here is a description of the film from a film website making the announcement:
Last Play At Shea (Country: US; Director: Jon Small, Greg Whiteley; Cast: Billy Joel)
The intersecting histories of a stadium, a team, and a music legend are examined in a documentary that charts the ups and downs of the New York Mets and the life and career of Long Island native Billy Joel, the last performer to play Shea Stadium. World Premiere.
So keep your eyes and ears open for this. In the meantime, here is the chapter in my book about Joel’s final concert at Shea.
And here is a link to the blog piece I wrote about Paul McCartney’s inaugural concert at Citi Field.
