CBS Announces Rebroadcast of Billy Joel Concert at Madison Square Garden
CBS apologizes for Sunday’s technical error and cuts during “Piano Man”
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CBS announced that it will rebroadcast Billy Joel: The 100th – Live at Madison Square Garden special in its entirety this Friday, April 19. The previous Sunday’s presentation was cut short in some areas of the country during the performance of Billy Joel’s signature hit, “Piano Man.”
Due to a network programming timing error, the Billy Joel special ended approximately two minutes early in the Eastern and Central Time Zones, and CBS offers its sincere apologies to Mr. Joel, his fans, the affiliated stations, and the audience for the interruption during the last song.
Following overwhelming demand from fans, Billy Joel: The 100th – Live at Madison Square Garden will be rebroadcast in its entirety on CBS on April 19th at 9:00 PM ET/PT.
Cutaway during “Piano Man” sparks social media outrage
During Sunday’s broadcast of the special in the Eastern and Central time zones, the show cut to local news just before the final chorus of “Piano Man,” leaving viewers disappointed and frustrated.
The special began airing a half-hour late on Sunday due to the 2024 Masters Tournament coverage running overtime.
Fans took to social media to express their outrage, criticizing the excessive amount of commercials, the exclusion of some of Billy Joel’s best songs, and the disorganized setlist. The show’s sudden interruption during “Piano Man” drew strong negative reactions and was perceived as a major failure by CBS.
Many fans demanded a rescheduled concert and expressed their disappointment and dissatisfaction with CBS’s handling of the broadcast.
The 100th Madison Square Garden show
The Billy Joel: The 100th – Live at Madison Square Garden special, which commemorated his record-breaking 100th show at the iconic New York venue, was taped on March 28. It marked the final show of his long-standing residency in his hometown.
Aside from the CBS rebroadcast, the full concert special is also available on Paramount+.
In case you need a refresher, the lyrics go: “…bar and put bread in my jar, and say, ‘Man, what are you doin’ here?'”
