Saw Billy Squier last night…and it was awesome!

He's got a ton of great songs, his voice is still fantastic and his band rocks. Killer guitar sounds as well, Squier and the other guitar player both played an assortment of cool guitars (LPs, Strats, Teles, etc…) and both were plugged right into what looked to be old Marshalls. They were LOUD and sounded soooooo good. A lot of guys give lip service to the idea of plugging the guitar right into old non master volume Marshalls………but very few guys actually do it. Most guys end up with a boost pedal, maybe a few overdrives, an echoplex and on and on it goes………not these guys though, the only effect I heard all night was a wah for about 10 seconds during the intro of one of the songs. When they wanted the guitars louder and dirtier they played harder, when they wanted the guitars cleaner they played softer, when they wanted feedback they turned around and stood in front of their amps………no delay on the leads, no chorused out clean sounds………just great rock guitar sounds. Awesome awesome awesome.

All the best,
Scott Bradoka

Well, this was THE show I had been waiting on for YEARS…Billy at my local concert venue, The Fraze.

And it was worth the wait to be sure.

I almost called 9-1-1 because Billy’s guitar was on fiy-ah!

It sure felt like Billy elongated some songs in the set from just two weeks earlier. And since he started 15 minutes earlier and finished at the same time, the clock seemed to agree.

The guy who was sitting next to me—who is more of a regular concert goer—had constant praise for Billy and the band.

“Man, his bassist is good.”

“His drummer is freakin’ awesome.”

But the highest praise was left for Billy. He told me he was a guitar player himself and he’s always felt like Billy was underappreciated as a guitar player. “He’s clean, he’s aggressive…” I don’t remember all the adjectives he used to pour praise on Billy, but I just kept nodding my head in agreement.

I’ve thought for well over 25 years now that Billy has THE voice in all of rock-n-roll, and one of the qualities I’ve appreciated over the years is how good and clean his voice is live. And where most rockers of his age (sorry B) have half the voice they used to (which was never as good as Billy’s to begin with), Billy’s voice is still impressive and strong…arguably as strong as ever. If there’s a difference, it’s not noticeable to my ears.

There’s another aspect that I love about Billy’s shows that I’m not sure I’ve heard mentioned in previous reviews. And that’s the way that Billy performs his songs live. He maintains the integrity of the song…especially in the lyrics and how he sings the words…while kicking it up a notch to make it something special and unique in concert.

And make no mistake…Billy is special and unique in concert.

My biggest disappointment with the show had nothing to do with Billy or the band, but the crowd. My Dayton area brethren came out fairly strong…about 85-90% capacity…but it sure felt like my friend and I were the only people standing for large chunks of the show. From the time The Who’s “Don’t Get Fooled Again” was ending (the last song before Billy hits the stage), my butt never hit the seat. Sadly, some of the crowd may have walked away with hemorrhoids. (Get on your feet people, this is Billy Freakin’ Squier!)

I’m looking forward to more shows on this tour and just want to give a big THANK YOU to Billy and anyone else that had a hand in this tour coming to fruition. Thanks for giving me yet another amazing concert memory.

Personal Stuff from Show:
Earlier in the day, Kenny and I (Kenny drove in from Charlotte to see the show) made a 3-hour roundtrip to pick-up front row tickets I found on eBay the night before. Because I already had 3 seats in the 3rd row, this meant that 2 more people could see Billy. One of those would be my 69-year old dad. Earlier in the week I had “disowned” my Dad because he made a comment along the lines of “I don’t know what all the fuss is about with this Billy Squier.” My dad had grown up listening to country music and had only recently started listening to contemporary music or any pop/rock music from the 80’s. After the show I hesitantly asked my dad what he thought. His response: He held up a hand for a High Five and proclaimed, “Billy Rocks!” He had a blast and I’m glad he now sees what the fuss is about. It’s good to have Dad back in the family!  :-)

And oh yeah, I did walk away with a nice drumstick souvenir from Nir. (Billy is being really stingy with the picks. I haven’t seen a single pick go to the crowd in 2 shows now.)

—Tim Adams

It didn't surprise me in the least to see that Billy could still rock the house. The guitar solo he did "with a little help from Marc" or maybe I should say the greatest jam session I have ever heard was fantastic. I think the song that did me in was when he played "More Than Words Can Say" with a dedication to his God children. Brought me to tears!!! I'll tell you what I'm not a young puppy anymore but I literally couldn't sit down the whole show. I hope this won't be the last tour he does I'd love to have the chance to take my Daughter so she can hear what a true musician really sounds like!!! Keep rockin Billy…

—Jodi Focht

It was a privilege to see the show in Atlantic City, and again in Westbury, where I also got to meet Billy, however briefly. That in itself was a dream come true, though 30 years late!

I had heard that Billy wasn't feeling well prior to the Westbury show, though it certainly wasn't evident during his performance. The word "awesome" is one of the most overused words these days, but it absolutely applied both to Billy's performances and to his incredible voice. (I could listen to Billy read the NYC phone book, but that's another story...) Billy's tribute to Freddy Mercury sent chills down my spine, especially when he hit the high notes at the end. It was a very touching moment.

Interspersed with such hits as My Kinda Lover, Rock Me Tonite, She's a Runner, Don't Say You Love Me, and Calley-Oh were long jams featuring Billy's wicked guitar skills and backed up by new second guitarist Marc Copely. Having Alan St. Jon back on keyboards was a treat for the fans and made it feel like old times, and enlisting the talented Nir Z on drums made for a rockin' good time. Mark Clarke was a demon on bass, and the backing vocals were spot-on. Kudos to the boys in the band. But the show belonged to Billy.

The audience was on it's feet early at both shows, when Billy opened with Lonely is the Night, and eagerly joined in later on The Stroke. We got to hear a more mellow Billy on More Than Words Can Say off his Happy Blue acoustic album. With talent like Billy's, it's no surprise that he is branching out into the blues genre, and is so heavily sampled in rap.

At the Westbury show a fan yelled out "John Lennon - Nobody Knows," and I have to agree that it would have been fantastic to hear Billy do that one again. But I can't argue with the playlist for the shows. Of Billy's many unforgettable hits, how was it possible to narrow down the ones he would perform on tour? Glad I didn't have to make that decision! Playing everything I would have wanted to hear truly would have taken him "All Night Long" - and then some.

Billy ended both shows with Everybody Wants You, and in my opinion, that's never been more true. I do hope that Billy adds a play date in NYC before his tour is over. Thanks Billy for an unforgettable couple of nights!

—Judy Howard

All I can say is WOW! The Billy Squier show was fantastic. I knew it would be good but was truly blown away. From the opening riffs of "Lonely is the Night", Billy and his extremely tight band did not disappoint. All the hits were there as well as some new and obscure songs that went over great. The songs were extended into fierce jams that only added to the magic. Billy is an UNDERRATED guitar player who plays seamlessly off of the other top-notch musicians he surrounds himself with (and I do mean top-notch!). This is a must see show. If you like hard driving, melodic Rock and Roll delivered with impeccable sound...Billy Squier is on tour delivering it !!!!

—Jean

Since I was a teenage girl watching Billy Squier on MTV, I have dreamt of meeting him and seeing him live in concert and on the night of July 12th, that dream came true! I had the fortune of meeting the lyrical genius in person and watched him perform at Penn's Peak in Jim Thorpe, PA. Billy and the band ROCKED the house from the moment they all came out on stage until the final bow! He sang all my favorites from every stage of his musical career from Little Miss Intent to More Than Words Can Say. He opened with All Night Long and I wish he could have played all night long! The set included all time greats such as The Stroke, Everybody Wants You, Rock Me Tonight, G.O.D., My Kind of Lover, She's Got Rhythm, Love is the Hero, L.O.V.E., Calley Oh, and Don't Say You Love Me.

As I was in the Pit just a few feet back from the stage, I was able to see just how much Billy and the band were enjoying themselves by the expressions on their faces. Audience participation was encouraged for songs such as Rock Me Tonight and Don't Say You Love Me and we all sang along willingly. We might have not been as loud as he would have liked, but we gave it a try!

This night will live in my memory indefinitely! For all the true fans out there...this is a show you cannot miss!

—Sandra

The show was great!! Billy seemed to be enjoying himself and all the guys he had with him were rockin also. The theater was packed and everyone was eager for the show to start. The guy in front of me actually saw Billy when he opened up for Queen. That was this guy's first concert ever. I thought it was cool he was back to see Billy. There was also a very old couple in their 70's in the next aisle. I was dying to know what brought them to the concert but before I worked the nerve up to asking them the concert was about to start.

The show was up close and personal which was awesome. I sat in the fourth row and to the right if you're facing the stage. From that distance the stage is literally 10 feet away. He started with Lonely is the night and had the place on their feet singing along. The entire show was worth saying something about but, I'm just going to give you my personal highlights. Loved G.O.D. Billy, I was right there with you man. Word for word. So happy that song was played. Not to many people knew it but i hope they found a new respect for it. Loved the Special intro to Love is the Hero. Billy's cover of Freddie's excluded intro to that song. Billy really showed off his voice. I wish he would have done the whole song. I love that song. My Kinda Lover was amazing. It made the crowd go wild. Billy played guitar like a guitar God all night long. She's a Runner was great to hear as well as Don't say you love me. Billy spoke to the crowd several times which was cool and everyone totally lost it when he played The Stroke.  The women ran out of their seats rushed to the front of the stage and started screaming. Maybe they were taking him literally? lol just kidding He really got the entire audience involved and everyone was shouting stroke me stroke me.  From that point on chairs were empty everyone stood for the rest of the concert either in the aisle, in front of their chair or in the aisle in front of the stage like me and my girlfriend.

Billy was very cool about letting us take his picture he would walk to the edge of the stage and let us snap away. He would look straight into the camera for you. He did this many times for many people. Toward the end of the show he played and played and played at the edge of the stage on both sides and always look out across the theater to make contact with those in the back. I have to say Billy still drives the girls crazy. They were screaming and screaming and he played for them. At the end of the show a girl ran on stage to hug Billy before security grabbed her. Something very funny I have to mention. I brought my girlfriend who is I think very pretty but, she
knows and likes Billy because of me I've been a fan since 1982 when I was 6 years old. Billy would never remember me from the concert but he let my girlfriend take tons of pictures of him some very close. He went away came back to this side again and when she finally gave me the camera I only got to take one shot. Billy likes the ladies LOL.Hahahaha She laughed. I said Who's the Billy Squier fan here me or you?  

Rock Me Tointe brought the house down everyone loved it. Billy had us singing it with hi m and we loved doing that. The show ended with my favorite BS song Everybody Wants You and he and they played the hell out of that that. Amazing. Show stopping. Fantastic. Everyone left happy. I finally asked that old couple what they were doing at the show. They were guests at the Hilton and wanted to see a show. They had never heard of Billy but, they figured they'd give it a try. I asked her if she liked it. She said yea but it was a bit to loud LOL. Maybe if you're in your 70's. It was fun. If Billy Plays in your area go see him. It is worth it and you will be happy you did. Oh and the T-Shirts are cool. Check out the all Night long  one with the Emotions in Motion Picture on it. I bought one. Billy if you read this I was in the front wearing a fleetwood mac t shirt  singing all the words and playing guitar with you. I doubt you will but thanks for the show, and all the years of…wonderful songs. They mean so much to me.

—Chris Szecsi

Hey...thought I would share my thoughts on the Atlantic City show...

Well, after months of anticipation the date finally arrived. Billy Squier, back where he belongs...on stage performing his original material. I found myself driving from Philly to the Atlantic City venue on a warm Saturday afternoon. I had an all-new forty-three track play-list of Squier songs (including the three fabulous new ones) programed on the i-pod. As I entered Atlantic City, I was greeted by a huge billboard promoting Billy's appearance. It sent chills through me. It was only eleven in the afternoon...how the hell was I gonna wait until eight that night for the 'show?

We were front row- center. I had my chin on the stage at Billy's feet. Unbelievable. Is it possible to be TOO CLOSE? As for the show? RIDICULOUS. The band was tight and sounded tremendous. And Billy? I have had the pleasure of seeing him perform many times and I have always believed that he has gotten better with each new tour. This was no exception—but I even I have to admit I was surprised by the intensity he played with. Squier was on fire! And it pleased me to close enough to see that Billy and the boys were enjoying themselves. This is the real deal. And the crowd was incredibly receptive. They were excited as all get-out and went wild for Billy...it did my heart a world of good to hear so many people sing the praises of Billy Squier through out the course of the evening.

Concerning the set list...this surprised me some as well. Being a die-hard like myself, it would be IMPOSSIBLE for Billy to cover everything I would want to hear. But
the omissions from this tour were curious: No In the Dark? No She Goes Down? And it struck me as really odd that given that the tour is christened THE ALL NIGHT LONG tour...said song was never played. Again, that's a minor quibble at best. I was very pleased that Billy pulled out Strange Fire, L.O.V.E., The Girl's All Right, and Little Miss Intent. The combo of More Than Words Can Say leading into She's a Runner was an absolute winner too...as was the new intro into My Kinda Lover. But I think the winner of the evening was the jaw-dropping performance of G.O.D. And then there was that Love is the Hero intro...nothing shy of amazing.

My pal Tom has seen a lot of bands play live...up close and personal, Eric Clapton among them. After leaving the show (and once our hearing started to slightly return), I asked him if he was impressed. Tom could only shake his head and mutter in a stunned mumble, "I've never seen anybody play a guitar like that." He then stated he was gonna get us another pair of tickets for another Billy Squier show.

—Chris Sasser

Looking youthful in a white T-shirt, blue jeans and a haircut much more closely cropped than in his early '80s arena-rock heyday, Billy Squier showed that time has done little to diminish his swaggering rock anthems with a strong set Tuesday at the Potawatomi Bingo Casino Rock Stage.

Largely invisible for the last decade - with the exception of Jay-Z's sampling of his song "The Big Beat" on his hit "99 Problems"- Squier, 59, could have been sitting in a cryogenic chamber somewhere.

Hits like "Lonely Is the Night" and "My Kind of Lover," played early in the set, sounded fresh, with Squier's voice carrying like a bullet.

Even "More Than Words Can Say," a song off his lackluster acoustic album, "Happy Blue," sounded great with the benefit of electrification.

By the time he got to some of his biggest and most recognizable songs - "The Stroke" and "Rock Me Tonite" - Squier had proved that his rock 'n' roll has stayed big, even if the arenas have gotten smaller.

—Bob Purvis, Special to the Journal Sentinel

Hello!!!! I just want to say that I have seen Billy Squier in concert 5 times and the show he played on 6/27/09 in Walker, MN was the BEST ever!!!!! I was in 8th row center and what an awesome show!!!!!  I heard the new Billy songs over the monitors before the show and they sounded great!!!!  I have been Billy Squier fan since sixth grade and I am 41 now, Billy has been and will always be my favorite musician!!!! Everyone at the show was standing and singing for the popular songs and then sat down for the less popular songs like Calley Oh, Strange Fire, The Girl's Alright, G.O.D., etc., but not me I stood the whole time and sang every word to ALL of the songs!! When everyone in the seven rows in front of me were sitting down, it felt like the 8th row was like the first row!!!!! At one point I was singing along with "The Girl's Alright" and it looked like Billy noticed me singing along and he gave me a nod of the head like '...thank you'. My cousin next to me even noticed that, so that was very cool!!!!

Billy did take a moment to mention his Godson Harrison, and a girl named Victoria (I think) as being important people in his life, that was nice. The intro to Love Is the Hero was really cool where Billy sang Freddie Mercury's part. Billy did an excellent job with his vocal range on that one, wish he would have sang the whole song though, that is my favorite from Enough is Enough.

I would have gone to the show on 7/20/09 as it was closer to home, but I was out of state due to my job.

I really hope Billy get's the inspiration to write more material (to add to the three new ones he recently did) from being out on tour!! All in all this was the best show!!! (bought two t-shirts!!) I wish I would have upgraded to the meet and greet I really would like to meet Billy one day and thank him for all the music that has meant a lot to me and reflects my life in a lot of ways!!!!! Thanks Billy!!!!

From your biggest fan in Minnesota!!!!! —Mike Brost

At long last, the exceptionally talented guitarist, singer, and songwriter Billy Squier returns to where he never should have left—the stage. Experiencing his highly anticipated live performances, once again, sent chills through me.

Presenting multiple talents, Billy surrounds himself with top musicians. The legendary Mark Clarke, bassist, exhibited himself in top form with his refined aptitude on bass and vocals. Clarke’s talent can be summed up in one word: “Stunning.” Still hitting the high notes, Mr. Alan St. Jon’s exceptional backup vocals provided the articulate pitch anticipated by the audience. Combine his extraordinary vocals with his stimulating talent on keyboards, St. Jon performed famously. New to the group, Billy adds guitarist Marc Copley. Copley’s superior technique and enthusiastic delivery truly delighted the crowd. Accepting no substitutions for the best of the best, Billy retains drummer Nir Z, a highly in-demand drummer, who exudes a pulsating presence.

Performing songs from every album, much to the audience’s pleasure, the truly gifted Billy Squier satisfied the expectation of the audience who chanted his name prior to his entrance. Appearing at home on stage, Billy mesmerized the crowd with his celebrated guitar playing, and unique voice. Seeming most comfortable in front of a guitar, which happens to be where the fans adore him, he never sounded better! Taking a hike down memory lane, Billy kicked out astonishing performances of “Rock Me Tonight,” “(L.O.V.E) Four Letter Word,” “G.O.D.,” and of course the highly anticipated “Everybody Wants You.”

Unnecessarily apologizing for his inclusion of the intro from a track on his Happy Blue album, Billy seamlessly led into the recognized “She’s a Runner.” His clean performance created a tranquil feel for the audience, and brought tears to some.

The equally dispersed enthusiasm by both men and women of multiple generations displays the timeless effect of Billy’s music.

Listening to fellow audience members while exiting the showroom Sunday at the Northern Lights Casino in Walker, MN, I overheard several rumblings referring to how the culmination of the show arrived too quickly, leaving the audience wanting much more. Not getting enough of Billy and his music myself after attending three shows in as many days, I feel the same. As the title of the tour implies, I could have listened to Mr. Squier and his fabulous ensemble Play All Night Long!

—Teresa Greenwood, Minneapolis, MN

We had just a SPECTACULAR time at the concert.

Billy is in PRIME form and sounded fantastic.  Wow, was it good to hear the old 80's songs in the true 80's guitar Marshall crank sound!  I'm a guitarist so it gives me chills, haaa.

Billy's voice is as good as it was back in the day, and what a great band!  

Now for the Review........... absolutely SMOKING CRANKING good ole fashioned rocknroll..... LOVED IT!   Re-lived high school and college with classic rock never sounding better!

His voice is as good as it was back in the day (that's incredible).  The light show was AWESOME, and the band is great.  The bass player had HUGE vocals and sounded great.

I didn't realize Billy played so much lead guitar?  He jammed all night long playing leads in about every song.   I must admit that I relished in it as it was that old 80's marshall CRANK sound which I NEVER get to hear anymore... so was LOVING it... but about half way through it seemed they cranked it up a couple more notches and it got a bit over the top in volume (which wasn't necessary, as it was loud at first, but sounded good)

The hall had good acoustics so that helped.... in a hockey arena or something, I would have had to go to the hospital for my ears.

Overall I can't say enough about how good it was to hear good ole fashioned rocknroll.  Still several songs I would have liked to hear including more Piper, and more solo stuff... he didn't play "Big Beat" and a few others that I would have liked, but his set did include these songs: (in no particular order)

          Lonely is the night (opening song)

          The Stroke

          Don't say no

          Little miss intent (Piper) ... was loving that at least he played 1 Piper song

          Rock me tonight

          She's a runner

    Encore:

          Calley oh

          She's got rhythm (that girl is alright) ... not sure what that song is, but that was the chorus

          Everybody wants you

By the way, he also played about 3 or 4 new songs or songs that I have never heard, and they were all very good (one especially good).... classic rock sounding, similar to his other stuff.

What a GREAT night.... thanks to Billy... KEEP ON ROCKIN!

—Kevin McGauley

 

[Note on volume: we didn't turn up...he's just hasn't been able to see enough shows like this, so his ears must've given out. ;-) —Billy]

Saw Billy rehearsing at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY.  

Saw - heard them play "The Stroke" and "Calley Oh".... two of my fave's..... so REALLY excited ot see it tomorrow night.

They sounded spectacular!   I was honestly a bit surpised that Billy's voice sounds as good as ever, including hitting high notes easily!  The band sounded fantastic, bringing right back to the late 70's early 80's PRIME Billy!

I'm happy to report with a sneak peek that Billy is back and as good as ever.... Wahoooo!

I'll be at the show tomorrow night and will send a review as well as set list as best as I can produce.

Calley Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

—Kevin McGauley