Review: Terry Shaw and his band play 'The Music of Billy Joel’
Originally published on The JOLT News on April 15, 2026
Earlier this month, I was going to write what I call a “preshow article“ about this show. Then, Terry Shaw called me and told me the show sold out! I was thrilled, but not surprised to hear about the success of the show because Shaw is such an insanely gifted musician.
I felt beyond lucky to have a ticket, and we agreed that it would be wise to skip the article rather than tease our audience about a show they wouldn’t have access to.
I kept the recording from our previous interview because I thought it could provide some fascinating insight and reflection after the performance, and I was right.
Listening to the recording again, I was reminded of how intentional Shaw is and how deeply he understands every element related to music making.
I believe his insights will be fascinating for all of us, regardless of if we went to his show or not.
What I love about people like Billy Joel or Terry Shaw is how their music encourages audiences to sing along and keep enjoying the ordinary moments of our daily lives, so I truly think this conversation is for everyone.
This review is going to be special, not just because Terry Shaw and his band are extraordinary people and musicians, but because this column will weave our conversation and my review into one.
I hope you enjoy it!
Woven together
Shaw: “I’ve performed Billy Joel songs before and talked with people about his music. It’s funny how many people did not know that certain songs were Billy Joel songs,”
Reflection: I did not know how much I related to this until I went to the concert and experienced a very familiar program. I really appreciated this show re-introduced me to good music and gave me a greater appreciation for it.
Shaw: “What style is Billy Joel? It’s everything — kind of pop, kind of rock, kind of mellow. You can hear the influence of this or that, his melodic storytelling, or the influence of an artist he is paying tribute to.”
Reflection: My family didn’t play a lot of Billy Joel growing up, I could not fully appreciate these qualities until Shaw and his band expressed them on stage.
Shaw emoted everything magnificently in each song, conveying deep emotions with his voice, piano playing, facial expressions, even through his eyes alone. I loved watching John and Ben Martin do the same during their solos.
The whole band met each other beautifully in each song, and became one force while maintaining their own unique flavor.
Every member of the band was amazing! Join me in applauding:
Ben Martin on the saxophone, keys and backing vocals
Rick Jarvela on bass
Jon Balsley on lead guitar
Cal Neal on drums
John Martin on the keys, guitars, and backing vocals.
Shaw: “Billy Joel is a really great songwriter and gives personal stories that I think anyone can relate to, that will always be relevant.”
Reflection: Every now and then, I allow myself the privilege of people watching in the audience during a show.
It was meaningful to witness the way that music spoke to each member of the audience. We all come to a show with our own stories. I would say that ‘I wish I was a mind reader,’ but looking at people’s faces, I understood perfectly what was going on, especially because much of the same was going on inside me.
Shaw: “You know why I do this, and why I love Billy Joel? I love being able to make music. I always tell my students, ‘You know with great ability comes great responsibility.’ I feel like I have a responsibility to my community right now. It almost sounds cliché but man, oh man, at this moment in history, in our time right now, we need live music.”
Reflection: I cannot over emphasize how impactful music is to our everyday lives, and how shows like this make such a positive difference in our spirits and help us reconnect with the community.
I witnessed many moments of profound togetherness, but none gave me goosebumps quite like when we all sang these lyrics:
“Sing us a song, you’re the piano man. Sing us a song tonight. We’ll, we’re all in the mood for a melody, and you’ve got us feelin’ alright.”
Thank you, piano man.
You can find clips from the concert on my Facebook and Instagram.
Terry Shaw and his band performed “The Music of Billy Joel” at Traditions/Soul Cafe, which share the space and stage located on 300 5th Ave. SW in Olympia.