CBS to Re-Air Billy Joel Concert Special Following 'Timing Glitch' Incident

Billy Joel Concert Cut Short During Piano Man Due to Timing Error CBS Will Rebroadcast 758

Billy Joel VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images

In certain areas of the country, some Billy Joel fans missed out on hearing the famous lyrics, "they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar."

CBS apologized for a "programming timing error" that caused Billy Joel's performance of "Piano Man," the closing song of his set at The 100th – Live at Madison Square Garden, to be cut short in the Eastern and Central time zones on Sunday night. This unexpected cut to the local news left viewers shocked and disappointed.

To make amends, CBS has announced that the concert will be shown again on Friday, April 19 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

In a statement released on Monday, April 15, CBS acknowledged that a timing error caused the Billy Joel special to end prematurely by about two minutes in the Eastern and Central Time Zones. The network apologized to Billy Joel, his fans, affiliated stations, and viewers who missed out on the last song.

The unlucky viewers were singing along to the final verse of “Piano Man” when the disruption occurred after Joel sang the lyrics “And the piano, it sounds like a carnival / And the microphone smells like a beer.” Those words were followed by several seconds of silence before the local news began.

Fans took to social media after the incident, criticizing CBS not only for interrupting “Piano Man” but also for what they felt was a mishandling of the entire special.

One user expressed disappointment with the recent CBS Billy Joel special. They felt there were too many commercials, some of his best songs were not played, the set list was out of order, and the show even cut to local news in the middle of "Piano Man"?!?

Billy Joel Concert Cut Short During Piano Man Due to Timing Error CBS Will Rebroadcast 757

Another X user pointed out that during the performance, the network skipped Billy's duet with Sting on songs like Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, We Didn't Start The Fire, and Uptown Girl. They also mentioned that the order of the songs was changed, which they found to be terrible.

The concert broadcast started late by about half an hour due to CBS's extended coverage of The Masters golf tournament. The concert was recorded on March 28 to celebrate Joel's 100th show at MSG, where he has been performing since January 2014 and will wrap up on July 25. Over the course of his career, Joel has taken the stage at the iconic venue nearly 150 times.

In an interview with USA Today before the broadcast, Joel mentioned that the show felt different only because there were multiple cameras on stage capturing the performance.

"I've been performing at Madison Square Garden since the 1970s," he mentioned. "The number 100 just happened to line up with a show I was already scheduled to do at the Garden."

For those interested, the complete special is available for viewing on Paramount+ in addition to the rebroadcast.

Editor's P/S:

The untimely interruption of Billy Joel's iconic performance of "Piano Man" on CBS sparked outrage among fans, who felt shortchanged by the abrupt cut to local news. The network's apology acknowledged a "programming timing error" but failed to fully address the broader concerns raised.

Fans criticized the special not only for its technical glitches but also for its questionable editing choices. The omission of Joel's duet with Sting and the alteration of the setlist left many viewers disappointed. Additionally, the half-hour delay due to The Masters coverage and the absence of Joel's signature song, "New York State of Mind," further marred the viewing experience. While the special is available on streaming platforms, the lack of a complete and uninterrupted broadcast left a sour taste for those who missed out.