![[Joyce Lee/The Daily Pennsylvanian]](http://thedp.com/files/imagecache/article_250wide/paper882/stills/3bea411a981a7-52-1.jpg "Scott Vogel")
Billy Joel hit all the right notes with the Penn crowd Tuesday night.
In front of a jam-packed Irvine Auditorium audience, the Piano
Man zinged 'em with his off-the-cuff humor and zany stage antics.
He won 'em over with his honesty and frank New York state of
mind. And he wowed 'em with an amazing display of keyboard
prowess and a songlist of favorites worth the price of any scalped
ticket on eBay -- and then some.
But while all these aspects made Joel's peformance
memorable, they certainly weren't the highlight of the evening. That
moment belonged to a Penn student: 23-year-old College and
Wharton senior Jesse Rubenfeld.
For those who didn't win the SPEC ticket sweepstakes, break the
auditorium doors down for seats -- or "know someone" important
enough to score a coveted spot in VIP rows that filled roughly
one-third of the house -- let me explain what happened.
About halfway through the question-and-answer program, Joel
called on an enthusiastic young man, seated in the middle section
of Irvine, who wanted a favor from the the pop legend he had
idolized since childhood.
"As a singer and songwriter, your music has been important to
me for a long time," said the shaggy-haired Jesse, sporting the
classic rock and roll uniform of jeans, t-shirt and a leather jacket.
He said that he had written a song called "A Friend in Bill" that he
dedicated to Joel, and asked, "in the spirit of this master class, if I
could play it for you and ask for your critique and response."
This was not the first time that Jesse had turned to the Piano Man
for advice. Since starting lessons at age six, Jesse appreciated
his classical piano training but found inspiration in Billy Joel's
music. He would hammer out his favorite songs at the keyboard,
and whenever something bothered him, he found a ready friend in
a Joel CD.
"His songs, the music -- they just work," Jesse said. "They have
the ability to connect with people on so many issues that we deal
with but still be great rock and roll, poetry and art."
In high school, Jesse took his obsession with Joel to the next
level. During his senior year, he wrote the pop star, inviting him to
his graduation ceremony in Houston. And at Penn -- where Jesse
quickly made a name for himself freshman year by playing Billy
Joel songs in the Quad with Mask and Wig -- he sent Joel a demo
tape along with a note asking for his thoughts. (Both letters were
promptly returned by Joel's production company.)
But on a night dedicated to picking Joel's brain about the music
business, Jesse hoped he might finally get the chance.
After hearing his hero was coming to Penn, Jesse polished off the
song he was writing for the pop legend and practiced every day
until he could play it flawlessly by heart. When he didn't win a ticket,
Jesse pleaded with SPEC organizers to let him "work" his way into
Irvine by helping the production crew.
And when A&E producers flatly denied his repeated requests
Tuesday afternoon to play the song during the peformance, Jesse
stood up and asked anyway.
It was a gutsy move on his part. It took chutzpah. It took
courage.
But to his credit, the master Piano Man gave Jesse a chance. With
the audience's overwhelming approval, Joel invited young artist up
to the stage and allowed him to take a seat at his own concert
piano.
Speaking softly into the mircrophone at the piano to contain his
enthusiasm, Jesse said: "Billy, it's in G. It's in three. And here it is, I
wrote it for you."
The audience hushed. Joel stepped aside. The A&E television
producer, already worried about keeping the show on schedule,
just cringed. And Jesse played -- no, he dazzled 'em.
"I couldn't believe that I was playing on Billy Joel's Steinway,"
Jesse explained. "I could see him staring at me from across the
room. His attention was on me."
By the end of the song, Penn's own piano man had brought down
the house. Jesse stood up from the piano and turned to the
audience.
The crowd roared with applause and rose out of their seats.
Penn's ever-stoic provost cracked a smile. Even the producer
acknowledged a job well done and agreed to send Jesse a
tape.
Then Jesse walked over to meet his musical hero, who
acknowledged he was impressed.
"That was actually the first standing ovation of the night," Joel
pointed out before dishing out some advice to talented young
kid.
"Get a lawyer," warned Joel, whose own legal battles with his
manager have been widely reported. And with a name like
Rubenfeld, Joel kidded, "you may not need an accountant."
But Jesse got in the final word. As the Piano Man and his Penn
protege shook hands and exchanged thank yous at center stage,
Jesse slipped him a demo CD as well as a special note written on
the lyrics to his song:
"Thank you for all the great years of music -- Jesse Rubenfeld."
Eric Dash is a senior Management and
American History major from Pittsburgh, Pa.
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