Billy Joel to headline Richardson concert

Despite rumors earlier this year that the USG would not put on a fall concert, social chair West Owens '03 announced yesterday that Billy Joel, accompanied by classical pianist Richard Joo, will perform on Nov. 19 for the Princeton undergraduate student body. The program, entitled "An Evening of Questions, Answers and a Little Music," will take place at 9:00 p.m. in Richardson Auditorium.

Because of Richardson's limited seating capacity, approximately 800 spots will be available to students — a number far less than the USG expects will be demanded. In an effort to deal with the expected scarcity of seats in a fair manner, a lottery system will be used to award the right to purchase tickets randomly.

Those interested in registering for the lottery can visit the USG website at www.princeton.edu/usg. Registra-tion will continue until 11:59 p.m. tomorrow night. Winners will be announced on Thursday. Tickets must be purchased by Saturday to avoid forfeiture of the privilege. Winners will be eligible to purchase two tickets, and only University students will be allowed to attend the event. PUIDs will be checked at the door, a policy that will be strictly enforced, according to USG plans.

Students able to purchase tickets will pay either $30 or $40 per ticket, depending on the location of their seat. Winning students will not be obligated to purchase two tickets, and there will be a waiting list. The USG will make all the saleable tickets that it was allotted available to Princeton students, with the remainder of the seats being reserved by the artists for their own use.

During the first part of the show Joo, an internationally renowned pianist, will perform pieces from Joel's classical album Fantasies and Delusions. After an intermission, Joel will take the stage and engage in an interactive question-and-answer performance. Concert-goers will be able to pose questions to Joel through circulating microphones in the audience and can expect to hear some classic songs.

Owens said it will be much "like something you might see on VH1, with asking questions back and forth." It is the intimate nature of the show "that is the reason it's in such a small venue," he added.

This upcoming concert does not rule out the possibility of a large stadium-style concert in the spring, which has been a consideration since the beginning of this year. The USG is making efforts to plan such a concert.

Though the Joel concert will be part of a USG effort to broaden the variety of musical events at the University, a significant factor in the staging of the event was Joel's willingness to participate.

"Billy Joel expressed an interest . . . [and] the option was simply too good to pass up," said Owens.

Responding to perceptions that there was an abnormal delay in announcing the concert, Owens explained that for legal reasons the artist's identity could not be disclosed until contracts had been signed guaranteeing the show. "[This type of] information is always confidential," Owens said.