The Last Play at Shea

In 1964, when the New York Mets were regarded as little more than a punch line in major league baseball, the team moved into a brand new ballpark, Shea Stadium, which was to become their home for the next forty-four years. Over the course of its history, Shea Stadium became an iconic part of Long Island life, and along with hosting baseball, football and soccer, it was used as a venue for massive open air concerts, with The Beatles playing a legendary show at Shea in the summer of 1965 to an audience of over 55,000 fans. In the fall of 2008, Shea Stadium was closed (in part to create more parking space for a new stadium, Citi Field), and on July 16 and 18, 2008, Billy Joel headlined the final concerts held at the stadium. Filmmaker Paul Crowder and a camera crew were on hand for Joel’s shows, and the documentary The Last Play At Shea chronicles his historic two-night stand, as well as exploring Joel’s career, his ties to working-class New York, and how his life and career paralleled the growth of suburban Long Island and the beloved ballpark. Featuring appearances by Tony Bennett, Paul McCartney, Roger Daltrey, Steven Tyler and Garth Brooks and narration by Alec Baldwin, The Last Play At Shea received its world premiere at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival., Native New Yorker Billy Joel’s historic final two concerts at Shea Stadium in Queens are chronicled in this rousing rock documentary, which also looks at the intertwined history of the stadium and Joel’s career. Among those weighing in are former Mets players Keith Hernandez and Tom Seaver, as well as musicians Don Henley and Steven Tyler. Archival concert footage is also included., Joined by Paul McCartney, Tony Bennett, John Mayer and Garth Brooks, Billy Joel performs hits such as Piano Man and River Of Dreams in a thrilling concert at New York’s Shea Stadium. Joined by Paul McCartney, Tony Bennett, John Mayer and Garth Brooks, Billy Joel performs hits such as Piano Man and River Of Dreams in a thrilling concert at New York’s Shea Stadium.