Billy Joel at Miller Park: What you need to know before his Milwaukee concert April 26

Piet Levy
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Billy Joel is playing one place and one place only in the Midwest in 2019: Miller Park in Milwaukee April 26.

In terms of attendance, it'll be the biggest Milwaukee concert of the year, with about 40,000 fans singing along with the "Piano Man." 

In terms of the concert itself, expect lots of hits — and a whole lot of traffic. 

Before you go to Joel's show at the Brewers' ballpark Friday, here's everything you need to know.

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Billy Joel will perform his lone show in the Midwest for 2019 this Friday at Miller Park, his first Milwaukee concert in 11 years.

1. Leave early — or risk getting there late 

Weeknight concerts at Miller Park with Paul McCartney in 2013 and Ed Sheeran last fall caused some of the worst Milwaukee traffic jams within the past decade. For Sheeran, the three-mile drive from downtown to the stadium, which typically takes 12 minutes, took an hour and 40 minutes. It was so bad the Brewers even apologized. 

With Joel playing on a Friday, there's a chance there won't be as much commuter traffic mixed in. The Brewers will have more parking attendants on site than they employ for sold-out ballgames, Rick Schlesinger, the team's chief operating officer, told the Journal Sentinel in January.  

But your best option to avoid horrendous traffic jams — and to avoid missing any part of the show — is to get to the ballpark really early. Parking lots open at 4:30 p.m., 3½  hours before Joel is scheduled to take the stage. And yes, you can tailgate, or you can head into the ballpark for grub, starting at 6 p.m. 

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2. Buy parking passes in advance

A major reason the traffic at the Sheeran show was so miserable was because, "the process of moving cars into the lots was slower than anticipated," the Brewers said in their apology last October.

To avoid that happening, they're urging people to buy parking passes in advance. Schlesinger even warned that the Brewers' parking lots may all be reserved before Friday night. 

You can buy parking passes now at tickets.com, brewers.com/billyjoel, and the Miller Park ticket office. Advance passes are $30 for preferred parking, and $25 for general parking. Parking the day of the show — if you want to risk it — costs $40 for preferred and $30 for general parking. 

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3. Avoid driving altogether 

Lyft and Uber users will get dropped off at the Gantner parking lot, and you can pick up rides there. Cabs will be found outside Helfaer Field, where drop-offs will be. 

You also can ride the bus. The Milwaukee County Transit System's GoldLine, BlueLine and Route 23 lines stop within walking distance of the stadium. It costs $2.25 one-way, or $2 if you use the Ride MCTS app. One-way fare is $1.10 for kids (ages 6 to 11) and seniors (over 65).

And you can check with bars and hotels that provide shuttle service for ball games to see if they'll be doing the same for the show. Find a list of shuttle providers at mlb.com/brewers/ballpark/transporation/shutles, or jsonline.com, but call ahead to confirm if they're offering shuttle service Friday.

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4. Tickets still available 

Most of the tickets for Joel are spoken for, but it's not sold out. As of deadline, there were still tickets in the center section in front of the stage on the field for $189.95 each. The cheap seats at the top of the stadium are $29.50 each, before fees. They're available by calling (800) 745-3000 and at ticketmaster.com.

You also can check in with resale sites like StubHub, SeatGeek and Vivid Seats, but as of now, the best deals are from Ticketmaster. The cheapest ticket on StubHub is currently $38.57, up to $455.76 for the third row in the center section closest to the stage. 

If you do grab a field seat, you'll need to pick up a wristband on the field level concourse near sections 110, 118 and 126. And if you're doing will call, you can pick up your tickets at the box office near the home plate gate. You'll need your ID and the credit card you used to purchase the tickets.  

5. See something, say something 

If there's an issue, locate a Miller Park staff member, find a guest relations booth (behind sections 116, 221 and 419) or text the word "Brewers" and explain the problem to 69050. Also, don't stand on the seats or in the aisles, and nothing nasty on the signs, which cannot be larger than 18 by 24 inches. (No handles or poles either.)

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6. What to expect 

Joel had a whopping 33 Top 40 hits in the U.S., from breakout single "Piano Man" in 1973, to "All About Soul," from his final album of original material, "River of Dreams," 20 years later. 

At his most recent stadium shows in Orlando and Phoenix this year, Joel played 24 and 25 songs, many of them the biggest hits of his career. 

Among the hits played at both shows, and likely in Milwaukee:

  • "Big Shot"
  • "The Entertainer"
  • "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)"
  • "And So It Goes"
  • "Allentown"
  • "She's Always a Woman"
  • "Don't Ask Me Why"
  • "My Life"
  • "Only the Good Die Young"
  • "The River of Dreams"
  • "Piano Man"
  • "We Didn't Start the Fire"
  • "Uptown Girl"
  • "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me"
  • "You May Be Right" 

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7. A long time coming 

Joel last played Milwaukee 11 years ago — March 2, 2008, to be exact, at the Bradley Center — but local fans have had many opportunities to see him.

Joel broke a Wrigley Field record after playing the Chicago Cubs ballpark for a fifth consecutive year in 2018. And in 2017, Joel played Green Bay for the first time at the third major concert ever at Lambeau Field — where he became a Packers shareholder.

In her glowing review for the Green Bay Press-Gazette, Kendra Meinert called the show "an impeccable and nearly 2½-hour performance by a man who epitomizes what it means to be a consummate pro."

Contact Piet at (414) 223-5162 or plevy@journalsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter at @pietlevy or Facebook at facebook.com/PietLevyMJS.

Piet also talks concerts, local music and more on "TAP'd In" with Jordan Lee. Hear it at 8 a.m. Thursdays on WYMS-FM (88.9), or wherever you get your podcasts.