At a press conference at the Reds Hall of Fame & Museum today that included baseball legend Johnny Bench and Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Driehaus, the Cincinnati Reds and Live Nation announced that Billy Joel will play Great American Ball Park on Sept. 11.
That date is significant in Reds history — Pete Rose passed Ty Cobb to become baseball's all-time hits leader on Sept. 11, 1985.
Ticket pre-sale begins Monday, Nov. 11 via ticketmaster.com. The general public on-sale date is Friday, Nov. 15 at 10 a.m. Tickets range from $59.50-to $695.
Driehaus talked about the economic impact of Joel's visit and Bench talked about what a big fan he was, calling the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer "an icon."
The last time Joel was in Cincinnati — in 2016 for a concert at then-U.S. Bank Arena — Mayor John Cranley declared April 5 "Billy Joel Day."
Joel has been getting good reviews for his shows of late. A recent Dallas Morning News review of his concert in Arlington, Texas said the singer/songwriter played an energetic two-hour show full of hits — everything from "My Life" and “Just the Way You Are" to "Pressure" and live rarity “Shameless."
Joel had previously suggested he would retire from performing, but he told Newsday earlier this year that he's had a change of heart.
“I've become very comfortable with that concept of maybe you just don't retire,” he said. “Maybe it just keeps going because people want to keep seeing it. And it's a great job. I have a great band. I play great venues. And I make great money. So what's wrong with that?”
