REVIEW
And then there are nights like this one.
Billy Ocean took the stage at the MSU Riley Center Thursday night, and from the very first beat — a funky, foot-stomping percussion intro — you could tell we were about to go somewhere else entirely. Not Meridian. Not 2026. Somewhere… groovier.
He opened with “One World,” stepping out in a blue suit like he never left the 80s — in the best way possible. Immediate presence. Immediate star power.
I was sitting alone on the parquet level, just taking it all in, when I realized something strange.
I was sitting behind Elton John.
Not the Elton John — but Ben Frey, better known as “Almost Elton.” And honestly, if you didn’t know better, you might’ve done a double take. He’ll actually be performing tonight at Jet Jam downtown, which makes this whole week in Meridian feel a little surreal. Blue Angels in the sky, Elton (sort of) in the crowd… not your average Thursday.
But back to Billy.
One of the first things he said was, “Greetings in the divine name of Jesus Christ.”
Now that got a response. He knew exactly where he was.
From there, it was hit after hit — “Nights (Feel Like Gettin’ Down),” “Mystery Lady,” “Love Zone.” And somewhere in the middle of all of it, I realized something else:
I might have had the best seat in the house.
It felt like it was just me, Billy… and “Almost Elton” vibing along in front of me.
And speaking of vibes — the band was unreal. The backup vocalists were locked in all night, the bass player was doing his thing, and the saxophone… the saxophone might’ve been the real MVP of the show. Every time it kicked in, the energy just lifted.
Billy still has it, too. The voice, the movement, the feel. You can tell he doesn’t just perform the music — he lives in it. At 76 years old, he’s still dancing, still hitting notes, still holding them longer than you expect like he’s got something to prove.
At one point, he looks out and says, “Do you want to get into my car?”
The crowd knew immediately.
“Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car.”
And suddenly, you’ve got people in an opera house pretending to steer imaginary steering wheels. That’s the kind of night it was.
Then there were the quieter moments.
“The Colour of Love.”
His cover of “No Woman No Cry.”
There’s a line in that song — everything’s gonna be alright — and for a few minutes in that room, it actually felt true. That’s what live music does when it’s done right.
And the setting matters.
The Riley Center isn’t just a venue — it’s history. Opened in 1890 as the Grand Opera House, it still carries that weight. There’s even the “Lady of the Opera House,” a painted figure above the stage that’s been watching performances for over a century. You don’t notice her at first… but once you do, she’s always there. Kind of like the feeling of the whole night — subtle, but constant.
Billy talked about his career, too. The 40th anniversary of “Suddenly.” The moment that brought him to America. He joked, “I’m 40 years older… and I’m still sexy.”
The crowd agreed.
“Loverboy” might’ve been my personal favorite moment. The energy, the movement, the borderline sci-fi weirdness of it all — it just worked. He even threw in some robotic dance moves like it was still 1984.
At one point, he introduced his band — including his daughter as one of the backup vocalists — and made sure to thank the crew. Then he pointed to the audience and said none of it mattered without them.
And then, finally, the moment everyone had been waiting for.
“Would you like to come to the Caribbean with me?”
People were already on their feet before the first note.
“Caribbean Queen.”
That’s how you end a show.
“Thank you Meridian!” he said.
And just like that, it was over.
Or maybe not.
Because this wasn’t just a concert — it felt like part of something bigger. A week where Meridian somehow became the center of a lot of energy, a lot of talent, a lot of moments you don’t expect to have in a place like this.
You never really know what’s going to happen here.
Or who you might end up sitting behind.
— Cash Matlock
News Director, Queen City Newsfeed
