‘Billy Joel is a Chiefs Fan!’ He usually reps NY sports — but his KC show is different

Billy Joel may be known as a huge fan of New York and its sports teams, but he made a crowd full of Kansas City Chiefs fans happy Saturday night when he walked on stage to sing a duet with Stevie Nicks.

The Piano Man wore a huge grin … and a Kansas City Chiefs hat.

Fans in the audience at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium posted photos on social media.

“Billy Joel is a Chiefs Fan!”

“Billy Joel and his band brought the Chief’s Spirit to Arrowhead singing with Stevie Nicks last night!! Gracious and real performance! Proud to be a part of @Chiefs Kingdom!”

“Billy Joel really focused on Kansas City and Chiefs in his program which was so cool!”

That was some deep respect for the Super Bowl winners from a man legendary for his love of all things New York. It’s not just a state of mind.

Joel often wears baseball caps, mostly off stage but sometimes while performing. It seems rare for him to ever wear one that is not affiliated with a New York team, be it the Mets, Syracuse University upstate or the Islanders, who made a Billy Joel bobblehead once.

In 2018 when he was honored for playing his 100th show at New York’s Madison Square Garden, Joel wore a hat from the Italian-American Club of Oyster Bay, New York.

He’s been wearing the same cap during most of this current tour, a Deus Ex Machina custom motorcycles trucker hat. He wore it in June when he tearfully announced he is ending his decade-long residency at Madison Square Garden in July 2024.

Joel showing up in a Chiefs hat — to sing Tom Petty’s part in “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” with Nicks — brought the Kansas City leg of this tour full circle.

It was Chiefs coach Andy Reid who announced in November that Joel and Nicks would play at Arrowhead this summer, part of an ongoing effort by the Chiefs to bring in more concerts and audiences.

At that announcement, Chiefs team president Mark Donovan noted that this summer’s shows would bring to almost 20 the number of concerts on the Chiefs’ home field “since bringing music back to Arrowhead” in 2011, noting big shows like One Direction, U2 and Guns N’ Roses.

“One thing I’m most proud of … is the diversity in the music and how that’s going to create opportunities for different fans to come to Arrowhead and enjoy music here at GEHA Field,” he said.

This summer Arrowhead has hosted country singer Luke Combs, Ed Sheeran and the massive Taylor Swift concerts. Beyonce is set to perform in October.

As the Chiefs step up their concert game, it seems a little audience education is in order.

Yet again, on Saturday, uninitiated concert-goers mistook the low rumble of a “Chieeeeefs” cheer and thought it sounded like booing.

“What I want to know from you sports people is why did everyone boo so loudly when Billy Joel mentioned the Kansas City Chiefs? We were at THEIR stadium! I didn’t get it,” wondered one Facebook user.

Others took to X, formerly Twitter, to post apologies to one of Joel’s band members who played while wearing Chiefs gear.

“Was at the Billy Joel & @StevieNicks concert at Arrowhead Stadium last night. Phenomenal! However, Billy, we weren’t booing your trombone player with the @Chiefs T-shirt. We were all yelling CHIEEEEEFS!” wrote X user @bikerchic_21.

“Thanks for repping the best team in the NFL!”