This week, we head back to December 11, 1977 as we dive into into an stellar soundboard recording / radio broadcast from The Stranger Tour at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island in New York.

We are joined by our friend and fellow musician J. Tom Hnatow. Tom and his friends warmly welcomed us to Lexington Kentucky last year to emcee a tribute concert for their late friend and friend of the podcast, Robby Cosenza.

Listen to the concert here courtesy of Activer Music.

The Band:

Billy Joel - Piano, Keyboards, Vocals

Richie Cannata - Saxophone, Flute, Keyboard, Vocals

Doug Stegmeyer - Fender Bass, Vocals

Frank Vento - Electric & Acoustic Guitars

Liberty DeVitto - Drums

Steve Kahn - Guitar on "Get It Right The First Time"

Setlist:

1. The Stranger

2. Somewhere Along the Line

3. Summer, Highland Falls

4. Piano Man

5. Scenes From an Italian Restaurant

6. Travelin' Prayer

7. Movin' Out (Anthony’s Song)

8. Still Crazy After All These Years

9. Just the Way You Are

10. Prelude / Angry Young Man

11. New York State of Mind

12. The Entertainer

13. Vienna

14. Root Beer Rag

15. She’s Always a Woman

16. I’ve Loved These Days

17. Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)

18. The Ballad of Billy the Kid

19. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

20. Captain Jack

21. Say Goodbye to Hollywood

22. Only the Good Die Young

23. Get It Right the First Time (with steve khan)

24. Souvenir

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In our last episode, Bradshaw Leigh walked us through remixing classic Billy Joel albums in Dolby Atmos. This week, we're diving deep into his mixes with a listen through in the Dolby Atmos Room at Montgomery County Community College.

Recorded by Matt Frankl at Montgomery County Community College in Pennsylvania on June 5, 2025.

Edited by Jack Firneno

Mixed by Michael Grosvenor

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Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Glass Houses Media, LLC

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This week, we’re joined by audio engineer and friend of the podcast Bradshaw Leigh for an in-depth conversation on the technology behind Dolby Atmos and his work remixing eight of Billy Joel’s albums in the immersive format.

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Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media:

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Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Glass Houses Media, LLC

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This week we sit down with Jesse Jackson, host of Setlusting Bruce: The Bruce Springsteen Fan Podcast. We are also joined by author and historian Jim Cullen as we unpack the parallels and differences between the music and career arks of Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel.

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Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Glass Houses Media, LLC

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This week, we sit down with John Jackson, Director of the Billy Joel Archive as we talk through his work and look ahead to what they're working on for 2026.

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Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Glass Houses Media, LLC

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2025 was quite the busy year for us.. From all of our work and adventures around the new Billy Joel documentary to our travel adventures around that, our Metallica concert adventure and an amazing experience emceeing an event for a wonderful musician and listener we lost nearly 2 years ago.

Join us as we recap our 2025 and look ahead to 2026.

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Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Glass Houses Media, LLC

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This episode, we are joined by our friends and fellow collectors and archivists Jeff Fisher & Jenni Nordaby. We discuss our methods and process over time as well as what got us into collecting as well as revisiting a little about our work together on the Billy Joel: And So It Goes documentary.

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Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media:

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Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Glass Houses Media, LLC

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This week, we journey back to December 14, 1982 as we dip into an audience recording from The Nylon Curtain Tour at The Forum in Inglewood, California, just outside of Los Angeles.

Listen to the concert here courtesy of Activer Music.

The Band:

Billy Joel - Piano, Vocals

Liberty DeVitto - Drums

Doug Stegmeyer - Bass, Vocals

David Brown - Lead Guitar, Vocals

Russell Javors - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals

Mark Rivera - Saxophone, Percussion, Keyboards, Vocals

Dave Lebolt - Synthesizers, Keyboards

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Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media:

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Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Glass Houses Media, LLC

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This week, we sit down to dive into the 2014 Jim Brown directed documentary Billy Joel - A Matter Of Trust: The Bridge To Russia, which gives a fresh perspective on Billy Joel's landmark 1987 of Moscow and Leningrad.

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Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media:

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Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Glass Houses Media, LLC

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Purchase Ashton Allen's 'Dewdrops' 20th Anniversary vinyl edition HERE.

Michael Grosvenor here. Every so often, Jack or I will do what we call a “Side Quest” episode. It’s a chance for one of us to give the other a break and dive deep into a topic outside of Billy Joel, or sit down with a friend.

This episode is a little of both. I’m joined by Ashton Allen, a fantastic singer, songwriter, human being. And a dear friend.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Dewdrops, Ashton’s debut solo album. To celebrate, we are reissuing the album for the first time on vinyl (available at https://ashtonallen.myshopify.com ), complete with bonus tracks, digital extras, and its long overdue return to streaming platforms.

Initially, this intimate, deeply personal collection was never meant for public release. The songs grew from journal entries written in the lead-up to and aftermath of his departure from his longtime band, Big Sky. They blossomed into songs during the quiet, uncertain, and contemplative time after that.

When those demos landed at the newly formed Livewire Recordings almost by accident, they were still just the private work of one musician trying to find his footing again. But with support from friends and a label that recognized their potential, they became the first bold steps of a songwriter taking the spotlight. 

What began as uncertain and impossible turned into a defining moment that built a passionate fan base and launched Ashton Allen’s solo career.

Ashton and I go way back - about 25 years - to when I first worked with Big Sky, the rock band from Gainesville, Florida, where he played bass. The band released 6 albums between 1995 and 2005 before he left. 

Over the past six months, Ashton and I have been working together on the reissue. Now that the album is streaming and available now for purchase at https://ashtonallen.myshopify.com , we sat down to reminisce about that time in our lives, the making of Dewdrops, and how his early career led to his solo debut.

What started as a catch-up between two old friends became a rare, candid look at the personal and professional journey behind a life in music.

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Email us: ⁠[email protected]⁠

Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media:

Support the podcast:

Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Glass Houses Media, LLC

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