Billy Joel’s signature song just made history.
“Piano Man,” his semi-autobiographical snapshot of a bar where he worked as a young upstart, has joined the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry, one of just 450 works now included in the collection.
The famed song helped launch Joel’s career in the early 1970s, and undoubtedly will be part of his set list when he returns to Seattle at 8 p.m. May 20. He is headlining Safeco Field on his latest tour.
Joel’s storied career found him landing hit after hit for nearly two decades. Tracks like “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me,” “Uptown Girl,” “We Didn’t Start the Fire” and “River of Dreams” helped turn him into one of pop rock’s most successful solo acts.
Though he hasn’t released much new material lately, that simply means fans can count on hearing the hits during his upcoming show.
Tickets are $53.75 to $133.75 at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.
Life in Color also is returning to the Northwest, bringing “the world’s biggest paint party” to the Tacoma Dome at 8 p.m. May 21.
The annual festival will feature EDM producers and DJs including Knife Party, Tritonal, Louis the Child and Slander.
Oh, there also will be paint that gets sprayed on the crowd. Lots of bright, neon-colored paint. So that should be fun.
Tickets are $54 to $74 at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.
Famed garage rock act the Sonics, meanwhile, will headline Lil Steven’s Underground Garage Tour. The rock show will also bring Barrence Whitfield and the Woggles to the Neptune Theatre at 7:30 p.m. May 22.
The Sonics were an institution in the Northwest in the mid-1960s, with their raw rock helping set the template for the decades of garage rock acts that followed.
Though regionally popular, the group never hit it big on the national stage during its run in the 1960s. The band’s fame and influence has only grown, though, making its eventual reunion this decade a moment heralded across the country.
The band is touring now after the release of “This Is the Sonics,” its first new full-length album in nearly 50 years.
Tickets are $36 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.
The Neptune also will host reggae-rockers the Expendables at 9 p.m. May 20.
The California-based act — which also folds ska, pop and punk into its songs — is touring after the 2015 release of its sixth album, “Sand in the Sky.”
Tickets are $18.50 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.
And the dark electronica act Pvris — pronounced “Paris” — will play the Neptune at 7 p.m. May 26.
The Massachusetts-based trio released its acclaimed debut “White Noise” in 2014, and appears to be gearing up to release its follow-up. The act put out a new song earlier this year, and has been working on a new album as well.
Tickets are $16.50 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.
Young Thug will headline the Showbox at 7 p.m. May 22.
The 24-year-old emcee got his start a few years ago with a series of buzz-building mixtapes. He then signed to rapper Future’s label, building on his success with yet more albums and mixtapes.
His oft-kilter rhymes and rhythms made him a success, showcasing his unusual style on hits like “Picacho,” “Danny Glover” and, most recently, “Best Friend.”
Tickets are $29.50 to $75 at showboxonline.com or 888-929-7849.
And the Showbox will also host Moderat at 8:30 p.m. May 24.
The electronic pop group from Germany has won a cult following around the globe with its experimental albums and EPs.
Tickets are $22.50 at showboxonline.com or 888-929-7849.
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