There’s nothing more New York than wheeling around the city streets in the back of a pedicab while listening to “New York State of Mind” — unless Billy Joel himself is there, too.
In a recent video posted by the Piano Man on Instagram, Joel pulls up next to a man riding a bicycle, chauffeuring two women sitting in an attached passenger car while blasting the rocker’s iconic 1976 classic. Joel looks stunned as he greets the trio from the backseat window of his car, with the biker not recognizing him at first.
When it dawns on him that he’s looking at the creator of the song he’s playing, the “taxi” driver says excitedly: “We are playing you, man! Can I take a picture with you, please?”
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The women in the back look just as psyched. “How are you feeling?” one of them asks, most likely referencing Joel’s recent normal pressure hydrocephalus diagnosis.
“We’re in a New York State of Mind … always,” Joel captioned the clip, adding a heart emoji.
The fateful interaction comes amid the rollout cycle for the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s new documentary, And So It Goes. Released July 18 on HBO Max, the two-parter explores Joel’s career as well as his personal battles, from struggling with alcohol abuse to mental health issues stemming from his affair with first wife Elizabeth Weber, who was married to one of Joel’s bandmates when they met.
As evidenced by the concerned passenger, however, what most people want to know now is how Joel is faring as he battles his illness — but in a recent interview with Bill Maher, the five-time Grammy winner said that it’s not as bad as it sounds. “I feel fine,” he said on an episode of Club Random Podcast. “My balance sucks. It’s like being on a boat … They keep referring to what I have as a brain disorder, so it sounds a lot worse than what I’m feeling.”
Watch the sweet moment Joel surprised fans on a pedicab below.
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