It's time to rank the best of what went around and came around again.
BILLY JOEL
The Stranger
(Columbia/Legacy)
As punk and disco exploded, the Piano Man's deeply unhip 1978 breakthrough proved that top-shelf Broadway/Brill Building songwriting could still sell - and, occasionally, rock. "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" and "Anthony's Song (Movin' Out)" remain priceless snapshots of Annie Hall-era NYC, the title track bares real teeth, and the Kenny Chesney fave "Only the Good Die Young" -
College Night/Unemployment Show, 8 p.m.Quite a fitting title for the times. Don't you agree?Laugh Factory - Long Beach,151 S. Pine Ave, Long Beach; http://www.laughfactory.comLecture: Irving Berlin, 1 p.m.Educator and historian Larry Maurer presents the colorful and poignant story of Irving Berlin, a Jewish American composer and lyricist, and one of American history's most beloved songwriters. His library of work includes "Cheek to Cheek" and "White Christmas" among others.
Admission: Me