Pelo | Photography

Alamy | Photography

Richard E. Aaron, Getty images | Photography

The Cold War: a period of unknown uncertainty where citizens of the world lived on the edge of their seats watching two great powers face off in a vie for power. Tensions were rising, weapons were aimed at each other, and suspicious glances were cast toward our neighbors and all those deemed strange or unusual. In these nerve-wracking and desperate times, one thing connected the United States and the Soviet Union, if only for a single hour. That, of course, being Billy Joel’s concert. 

Depending on who you asked, Billy Joel was either one of the greatest pop artists of the era or an upstart that didn’t even deserve stardom. Nevertheless, in 1986, Billy Joel was invited to perform in the USSR the following year. It would be the first time that the two nations would exchange an idea so “western” with the pop star. Joel became a musical ambassador and ensured that his image would be perceived as “nice” and  “safe”--- his success meant a bridge between the two nations. His failures would mean unforetold consequences. 

Associated Press | Photography

Having the responsibility of a “musical ambassador” meant a couple of crucial things: his mistakes would have the potential to raise the tensions even higher, and his successes have the potential to reconcile relations, even just a bit, between the two nations. His album reflected that— named “Kontsert”, it was a start 1 hour and 12-minute collection of songs he was sure would invigorate his audience, regardless of their race. Prior to this show, rock music was still a very niche topic that not many knew about in the Soviet Union. This album, later renamed A Matter of Trust: The Bridge to Russia, would mark the first steps towards rock becoming popular within the country.

Billy Joel | Kontsert, album cover

Everything had gone fine for his first few shows. However, disaster would strike soon in the form of an unexpected form of the show: the lighting. As Joel was performing, whenever the lights would flash on, his audience would freeze in fear. When the lights were back off again, they would continue dancing. Joel noticed this. In between lyrics, he would shout at the stage to “TURN THE LIGHTS OFF!” to no avail. In a desperate attempt to keep his audience engaged, he turned and smashed his microphone on the grand piano, breaking it. The crowd went wild.

Matter of Trust | Song

For the few hours that Joel spent performing for the Soviet Union, the two nations became intertwined in their mutual love for music and art. Joel is someone who understood the power music holds in bridging communities. And because of his efforts, the world would be brought a little closer, even in tense times. 

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