Jokermen Podcast – Teaser // Billy Joel: RIVER OF DREAMS with Ezra Koenig & Jake Longstreth

Date: September 8, 2025
Guests: Ezra Koenig & Jake Longstreth (from Time Crisis)

Episode Overview

This episode marks the final chapter in the "Joel Kerman" Billy Joel series, diving into reflections on Billy Joel's legacy—specifically through the lens of regionalism, personal upbringing, and shifting music tastes. Joined by Ezra Koenig and Jake Longstreth of the radio show Time Crisis, the conversation orbits the impact of Joel's music in the Tri-State area, generational perspectives, authenticity, and the often-contrarian stance indie circles have taken towards “uncool” icons like Billy Joel.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Regional Power of Billy Joel

• The hosts and guests reflect on Joel’s deep cultural resonance in the New York/Tri-State area, describing how some of his deeper cuts (like "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant") overloaded classic rock radio stations in their youth, but wouldn't have the same radio airplay outside the region.

  • Ezra Koenig (03:05): “Billy Joel and his portrayal of Tri-State area Italian American or Italian American adjacent life was just part of the ether where I grew up.”

• Contrast is made between how classic rock radio in North Jersey vs. Southern Connecticut played (or didn’t play) specific Billy Joel tracks, illustrating the invisible cultural lines surrounding his legacy.

  • Jake Longstreth (04:22): “You’d get Anthony’s Song. You’d get ‘My Life’, ‘Still Rock and Roll to Me’… I don’t think we would get ‘Scenes from an Italian Restaurant’.”

2. Family, Upbringing, and Musical Exposure

• Ezra shares that his father's eclectic yet discerning record collection included Billy Joel’s "The Stranger"—reflecting a broad musical open-mindedness, albeit one that didn’t fully embrace Joel as a central figure.

  • Ezra (01:51): “You gotta show at least a little respect to the man.”

• Jake’s parents, on the other hand, were culturally “tapped out” on new music by 1972, so his exposure to Billy Joel came from ambient classic rock radio rather than direct parental influence.

  • Jake (03:50): “My parents stopped listening to new music in like 1972, which respect. They knew when western culture peaked and they tapped out.”

3. Authenticity, Legacy, and Coolness

• The group unpacks the tension between Billy Joel’s mass appeal, musical chops, and his reputation in indie or “cool” circles—where he was often derided or ignored in favor of other influences.
• Ezra describes as a “contrarian” attitude: in college, he would joke that Joel’s vocalizations on “Hackensack” are proto-Animal Collective, poking fun at indie rock snobbery.
  • Ezra (10:39): “I was kind of like, I think these guys are really cool. They probably are Billy Joel fans… Billy Joel did it first with Hack and Sack Ack… I was like, there’s something that starts some of the Animal Collective DNA.”

4. Billy Joel’s Impact as a Regional Icon

• The hosts compare Billy Joel’s local hero status to the Beach Boys’ connection to Southern California, arguing Joel embodies the “mirror image” for New York and its suburbs.

  • B (06:53): “Billy’s sort of the mirror image of that [Beach Boys representing SoCal] with Tri State area… Once you start hitting Pennsylvania, it probably starts to taper off.”

• Joel’s specific place-naming in songs like “Allentown” or “Hackensack” is cited as creating global prominence for these regional spots—even if the shoutouts aren't always flattering.

  • Ezra (07:25): “That Hackensack has global prominence due to Billy Joel. That’s a very specific place that he dropped in a hit song.”

5. Personal Connections, Fandom, and “Discusser” vs. “Fan”

• The participants self-identify with varying levels of Joel enthusiasm (“discusser” vs. “fan”), and share personal journeys from casual familiarity to deeper appreciation or critique.

  • A (01:05): “At the beginning, Ian didn’t really know the music very well…”
  • B (09:13): “I’m really sorry, but I’ve never been a hater either.”
  • Jake (08:51): “In the year 2000, I said, okay, I’m thinking long term. Who’d I put my money on? The dead or Billy? I’m going dead… I never owned a Billy record and I’ve never listened to a full length Billy record until River of Dreams last week.”

• There’s humor in how Joel’s music for some was omnipresent but rarely “owned” or deliberately sought out, echoing that his singles are touchstones even if the LPs are less frequently consumed in full.

6. Joel’s Contrarian Appeal, Musical “Realness,” and Indie Culture

• Ezra’s father’s open-mindedness towards Joel is attributed in part to seeing him open for Kinky Friedman (an oddball, cult country artist), suggesting Joel’s “realness” exceeds his reputation for “corny” 70s pop.
  • Ezra (10:03): “Even just imagining Billy in that world already contextualized him… as being, like, I don’t know, a little more real than, like, some slick, corny, 70s, easy listening, which, of course, is how a lot of people see him.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Ezra Koenig on NYC Radio (03:05):
  “You would get ‘Scenes from an Italian Restaurant’, which is... a non single Billy Joel song. So that’s just an example of the extent to which Billy Joel... was just part of the ether where I grew up.”

• Jake Longstreth on Parental Tastes (03:50):
  “My parents stopped listening to new music in like 1972, which respect. They knew when western culture peaked and they tapped out.”

• Ezra Koenig on Contrarianism (10:39):
  “I was kind of like, I think these guys are really cool. They probably are Billy Joel fans… Billy Joel did it first with Hack and Sack Ack… I was like, there’s something that starts some of the Animal Collective DNA.”

• Group Dynamics (01:05 & 01:18):
  On becoming a fan through the project, and on losing some fandom through overexposure.

• A on Joel’s regional appeal (05:12):
  “We are playing this and we’re playing it all the time... It’s Bohemian Rhapsody for... our culture.”

• B comparing Billy Joel and the Beach Boys (06:53):
  “Billy’s sort of the mirror image of that with like, Tri State area… once you start hitting... Pennsylvania, it probably starts to taper off a little bit.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00-02:24 — Introductions, guest background, early personal exposure to Billy Joel.
• 02:24-04:40 — Regional radio programming and the Billy Joel “zone.”
• 04:40-06:32 — Discussion of Joel's radio ubiquity, thoughts on local culture, and specific song choices.
• 06:53-08:35 — Parallels to the Beach Boys, regional vs. national popularity, place name-checking in Joel's lyrics.
• 08:35-10:24 — The role of "coolness," indie contrarianism, and reactions against/for Billy Joel.
• 10:24-End — Reflections on authenticity, musical “realness,” memories of Joel and "cool" bands, personal connections.

Tone & Takeaways

The conversation feels loose, humorous, and self-aware, with plenty of affectionate ribbing and genuine reflection. There’s a strong local pride mixed with outsider perspective—perfectly captured by Jake’s hands-off but respectful stance and Ezra’s lifelong need to probe Billy Joel’s place in the pop firmament.

Takeaway:
Billy Joel’s true legacy may be his ability to vividly crystallize a sense of place—often dismissed by tastemakers, but beloved by generations, especially in his home region. In the end, everyone’s a Billy Joel “discusser”… some are just a little more honest about it.