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Billy Joel adds truly final 'Last Play at Shea'

Probably to no one's surprise, native New Yorker Billy Joel 's recently announced July 16 concert at Shea Stadium sold out in a flash, prompting organizers to add a second--and, according to a press release, final--show.

Billed as "The Last Play at Shea," Joel's two-night engagement will be the final concert event held at the legendary home of the New York Mets, which will close its doors for good at the end of the 2008 baseball season.

Tickets for the newly added July 18 concert will hit the box office Saturday (2/23) via 507tixx.com. The 50,000 tickets for the previously announced July 16 performance went on sale last Saturday (2/16) and sold out in 48 minutes, the fastest concert sellout in the venue's 44-year history, according to organizers.

Some premium tickets for the July 16 concert are still available via a Ticketmaster auction. Details are posted at the auction's webpage. (Ticketmaster is LiveDaily's parent company.)

Joel's two-night stand will make him the fourth artist to play multiple shows at Shea, a distinction also held by The Beatles (1965, 1966), The Rolling Stones (1989), Elton John & Eric Clapton (1992), and Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (2003).

The Mets will play their final regular season game at Shea on Sept. 28, and move into the newly constructed Citi Field for the 2009 season.

As previously reported, Joel also has a handful of arena shows scattered around the US over the next few months. Details are included below.