The "Makin' love to his tonic and gin!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Missin' my camera!  I know you're not supposed to take photos during performances at the Cicada Music Festival in Mount Gretna, PA, but no one would have known.  I could have taken some great photos!  Oh, well!  It was the seventh time we saw the group in Mount Gretna and we never tire of this talented group of musicians.  

Robert Eric as Billy Joel.  This photo was
taken from his website.

But, that was last night and tonight we decided to take in the show titled "The Piano Man" which features Robert Eric and his tribute to Billy Joel.  I just assumed that he would be stationed at a piano in the darkened playhouse with a spotlight on him as he played one famous song after another.  Boy was I wrong.  He had a six-piece band backing him up which was comprised as a drummer, bongo player, lead guitarist, bass guitarist, another keyboardist as a guy that played primarily sax, but also played the keyboards and harmonica. In the middle of all of them was a guy dressed in black with a tie as narrow as my belt.  Had to be Robert.  If you squint slightly, you would swear it was Billy Joel standing on stage.  He sounds, talks and acts like Billy and has been licensed by Billy Joel to record a dance remix of Piano Man classics.  He began with his shades covering his eyes as he sang Just The Way You Are.  Then broke in to two songs that I had never heard before.  I looked at Carol and quietly said, "I hope he sings a few more songs we have heard before."  Just then the lights dimmed, the band exited the stage as Robert sat at the Grande Piano.  The spotlight focused on him as he broke into none other than Piano Man!  Swaying as he played and sang adding rhythm to  the song with a harmonica that was strapped around his neck.  Every day when I work at the gallery in Neffsville I enjoy listening to an oldies station on the radio.  And, every day they play Billy Joel's Piano Man at least two or three times.  Have it memorized so I joined Robert in the song.  Wasn't the only one, since at some points he pointed toward the audience and we all sang along …….

It's nine o'clock on a Saturday

The regular crowd shuffles in

There's an old man sitting next to me

Makin' love to his tonic and gin.

And on and on it goes until ….. And you've got us felling alright.  We did have a great time, but didn't realize how many songs that Billy Joel recorded that I had never heard before or didn't remember the lyrics.  I felt bad that after the break, about a third of the audience never returned to their seats.  I know that many my age needed to get home to go to bed, but how rude to the performers not stay for the entire concert.  Not sure if I will see his show if he returns next year, but I did finally enjoy his performance.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.