# River of Dreams Tour

The River of Dreams Tour was a 1993–1995 concert tour by singer-songwriter Billy Joel. This tour was the first tour by Joel in two and a half years.

## Background

After spending a year and a half on tour following the release of Storm Front, Joel took a year off before recording the follow-up album River of Dreams.
Shortly before the tour started, Joel and his wife Christie Brinkley separated, and eventually filed for divorce, which was finalized in August 1994.
After performing on the Late Show with David Letterman (Joel was the first musical guest on the show), the tour kicked off in Portland, Maine, on September 10, 1993, and ended in Tokyo, Japan, on January 24, 1995.
During July and August 1994, Joel teamed up with fellow piano player Elton John on the first ever Face to Face tour in which Joel and John played 21 shows (all in stadiums) across the United States. In March and April 1995, after the River of Dreams Tour's conclusion, Joel joined John for 12 more shows across the United States, including one in Canada.

## Tour dates

| Date | City | Country | Venue |
| North America ||||
| September 10, 1993 | Portland | United States | Cumberland County Civic Center |
| September 14, 1993 | Boston | United States | Boston Garden |
| September 17, 1993 | Boston | United States | Boston Garden |
| September 20, 1993 | Boston | United States | Boston Garden |
| September 23, 1993 | Philadelphia | United States | The Spectrum |
| September 25, 1993 | Philadelphia | United States | The Spectrum |
| September 27, 1993 | Philadelphia | United States | The Spectrum |
| September 28, 1993 | Philadelphia | United States | The Spectrum |
| October 2, 1993 | New York City | United States | Madison Square Garden |
| October 4, 1993 | New York City | United States | Madison Square Garden |
| October 6, 1993 | New York City | United States | Madison Square Garden |
| October 8, 1993 | New York City | United States | Madison Square Garden |
| October 9, 1993 | New York City | United States | Madison Square Garden |
| October 12, 1993 | New York City | United States | Madison Square Garden |
| October 14, 1993 | Philadelphia | United States | The Spectrum |
| October 15, 1993 | Philadelphia | United States | The Spectrum |
| October 18, 1993 | Landover | United States | USAir Arena |
| October 19, 1993 | Landover | United States | USAir Arena |
| October 22, 1993 | Hartford | United States | Hartford Civic Center |
| November 2, 1993 | Hartford | United States | Hartford Civic Center |
| November 4, 1993 | Landover | United States | Capital Centre |
| November 6, 1993 | Worcester | United States | The Centrum |
| November 7, 1993 | Worcester | United States | The Centrum |
| November 12, 1993 | Syracuse | United States | Carrier Dome |
| November 13, 1993 | Syracuse | United States | Carrier Dome |
| November 16, 1993 | Rosemont | United States | Rosemont Horizon |
| November 18, 1993 | Cincinnati | United States | Riverfront Coliseum |
| November 19, 1993 | Rosemont | United States | Rosemont Horizon |
| November 29, 1993 | Portland | United States | Portland Memorial Coliseum |
| December 1, 1993 | Seattle | United States | Seattle Center Coliseum |
| December 3, 1993 | Vancouver | Canada | Pacific Coliseum |
| December 5, 1993 | Oakland | United States | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena |
| December 7, 1993 | Sacramento | United States | ARCO Arena |
| December 9, 1993 | San Diego | United States | San Diego Sports Arena |
| December 11, 1993 | Phoenix | United States | American West Arena |
| December 13, 1993 | Los Angeles | United States | Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena |
| December 15, 1993 | Salt Lake City | United States | Delta Center |
| December 17, 1993 | Las Vegas | United States | Thomas & Mack Center |
| December 18, 1993 | Anaheim | United States | Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim |
| December 29, 1993 | Uniondale | United States | Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum |
| December 31, 1993 | Uniondale | United States | Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum |
| January 2, 1994 | Uniondale | United States | Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum |
| January 4, 1994 | Uniondale | United States | Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum |
| January 6, 1994 | Uniondale | United States | Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum |
| January 8, 1994 | Uniondale | United States | Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum |
| January 9, 1994 | Hartford | United States | Hartford Civic Center |
| January 12, 1994 | Pittsburgh | United States | Civic Arena |
| January 14, 1994 | Auburn Hills | United States | The Palace of Auburn Hills |
| January 15, 1994 | Auburn Hills | United States | The Palace of Auburn Hills |
| January 18, 1994 | Albany | United States | Knickerbocker Arena |
| January 20, 1994 | Albany | United States | Knickerbocker Arena |
| January 22, 1994 | Toronto | Canada | Maple Leaf Gardens |
| January 25, 1994 | Richfield | United States | Richfield Coliseum |
| January 28, 1994 | Atlanta | United States | Omni Coliseum |
| January 29, 1994 | Charlotte | United States | Charlotte Coliseum |
| February 4, 1994 | Memphis | United States | Pyramid Arena |
| February 6, 1994 | Birmingham | United States | Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Coliseum |
| February 8, 1994 | Miami | United States | Miami Arena |
| February 10, 1994 | St. Petersburg | United States | ThunderDome |
| February 12, 1994 | Orlando | United States | Orlando Arena |
| February 14, 1994 | Miami | United States | Miami Arena |
| February 18, 1994 | Miami | United States | Miami Arena |
| February 19, 1994 | Miami | United States | Miami Arena |
| March 6, 1994 | Uniondale | United States | Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum |
| March 10, 1994 | Minneapolis | United States | Target Center |
| March 12, 1994 | Minneapolis | United States | Target Center |
| March 15, 1994 | Milwaukee | United States | Bradley Center |
| March 17, 1994 | Richfield | United States | Richfield Coliseum |
| March 21, 1994 | Auburn Hills | United States | The Palace of Auburn Hills |
| March 24, 1994 | Buffalo | United States | Buffalo Memorial Auditorium |
| March 27, 1994 | Indianapolis | United States | Market Square Arena |
| March 29, 1994 | Louisville | United States | Freedom Hall |
| March 31, 1994 | Ames | United States | Hilton Coliseum |
| April 4, 1994 | Dallas | United States | Reunion Arena |
| April 6, 1994 | Houston | United States | The Summit |
| April 8, 1994 | New Orleans | United States | Louisiana Superdome |
| April 10, 1994 | North Charleston | United States | North Charleston Coliseum |
| April 12, 1994 | Chapel Hill | United States | Dean Smith Center |
| April 15, 1994 | Miami | United States | Miami Arena |
| April 16, 1994 | Miami | United States | Miami Arena |
| Europe ||||
| May 7, 1994 | London | England | Earls Court Exhibition Centre |
| May 9, 1994 | London | England | Earls Court Exhibition Centre |
| May 11, 1994 | London | England | Earls Court Exhibition Centre |
| May 13, 1994 | Glasgow | Scotland | Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre |
| May 15, 1994 | Birmingham | England | NEC Arena |
| May 17, 1994 | Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ahoy |
| May 18, 1994 | Ghent | Belgium | Flanders Expo |
| May 24, 1994 | Milan | Italy | Forum di Assago |
| May 26, 1994 | Vienna | Austria | Wiener Stadthalle |
| May 31, 1994 | Berlin | Germany | Waldbühne |
| June 2, 1994 | Munich | Germany | Olympiahalle |
| June 4, 1994 | Salzburg | Austria | Residenzplatz |
| June 6, 1994 | Dortmund | Germany | Westfalenhallen |
| June 8, 1994 | Paris | France | Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy |
| June 10, 1994 | Zürich | Switzerland | Hallenstadion |
| June 12, 1994 | Nuremberg | Germany | Zeppelinfeld |
| June 14, 1994 | Stuttgart | Germany | Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle |
| June 18, 1994 | Frankfurt | Germany | Festhalle |
| North America ||||
| October 8, 1994 | Phoenix | United States | Blockbuster Desert Sky Pavilion |
| October 11, 1994 | Denver | United States | McNichols Sports Arena |
| October 13, 1994 | Kansas City | United States | Kemper Arena |
| October 15, 1994 | St. Louis | United States | Kiel Center |
| October 17, 1994 | Cleveland | United States | Gund Arena |
| October 19, 1994 | Chicago | United States | United Center |
| October 22, 1994 | Antioch | United States | Starwood Amphitheatre |
| October 23, 1994 | Knoxville | United States | Thompson–Boling Arena |
| October 26, 1994 | Moline | United States | The MARK of the Quad Cities |
| October 28, 1994 | Champaign | United States | Assembly Hall |
| October 30, 1994 | Fargo | United States | Fargodome |
| Oceania ||||
| November 13, 1994 | Melbourne | Australia | National Tennis Centre |
| November 15, 1994 | Melbourne | Australia | National Tennis Centre |
| November 17, 1994 | Melbourne | Australia | National Tennis Centre |
| November 19, 1994 | Melbourne | Australia | National Tennis Centre |
| November 22, 1994 | Brisbane | Australia | Brisbane Entertainment Centre |
| November 24, 1994 | Brisbane | Australia | Brisbane Entertainment Centre |
| November 26, 1994 | Brisbane | Australia | Brisbane Entertainment Centre |
| November 28, 1994 | Sydney | Australia | Sydney Entertainment Centre |
| November 30, 1994 | Sydney | Australia | Sydney Entertainment Centre |
| December 2, 1994 | Sydney | Australia | Sydney Entertainment Centre |
| December 4, 1994 | Sydney | Australia | Sydney Entertainment Centre |
| December 5, 1994 | Sydney | Australia | Sydney Entertainment Centre |
| December 8, 1994 | Adelaide | Australia | Adelaide Entertainment Centre |
| December 10, 1994 | Adelaide | Australia | Adelaide Entertainment Centre |
| December 13, 1994 | Perth | Australia | Perth Entertainment Centre |
| December 14, 1994 | Perth | Australia | Perth Entertainment Centre |
| December 17, 1994 | Auckland | New Zealand | Western Springs Stadium |
| Asia ||||
| January 9, 1995 | Tokyo | Japan | Nippon Budokan |
| January 11, 1995 | Tokyo | Japan | Nippon Budokan |
| January 12, 1995 | Tokyo | Japan | Nippon Budokan |
| January 15, 1995 | Fukuoka | Japan | Fukuoka Dome |
| January 18, 1995 | Osaka | Japan | Osaka-jō Hall |
| January 19, 1995 | Osaka | Japan | Osaka-jō Hall |
| January 21, 1995 | Yokohama | Japan | Yokohama Arena |
| January 23, 1995 | Tokyo | Japan | Nippon Budokan |
| January 24, 1995 | Tokyo | Japan | Nippon Budokan |

## Setlist

This setlist is from the September 17, 1993 show at Boston Garden. It does not represent all the dates throughout the tour.
* "A Matter of Trust"
* "No Man's Land"
* "Pressure"
* "Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)"
* "The River of Dreams"
* "Prelude/Angry Young Man"
* "Allentown"
* "All About Soul"
* "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant"
* "My Life"
* "I Go to Extremes"
* "An Innocent Man"
* "The Downeaster "Alexa""
* "Shameless"
* "Shades of Grey"
* "Goodnight Saigon"
* "We Didn't Start the Fire"
* "You May Be Right"
* "Only the Good Die Young"
* "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)"
* "Big Shot"
* "Piano Man"

## Personnel

* Billy Joel – lead vocals, piano, keyboards, harmonica
* Mark Rivera – saxophone, flute, clarinet, vocals, percussion, keyboards, rhythm guitar
* Tommy Byrnes – lead guitar, vocals
* Tom "T-Bone" Wolk – bass guitar, accordion, vocals
* David Rosenthal – keyboards
* Crystal Taliefero – percussion, saxophone, guitar.
* Liberty DeVitto – drums, percussion