Well, they're off.

To the United Kingdom, that is. If you're interested in seeing where it is that Joel, Victoria and the rest of the gang will be stopping at, here's a map with the three locations pinpointed. Feel free to zoom in and look at the arenas they'll be at.

Out of mild curiosity, I thought I'd look and see what events were being held at the arenas before and after Joel brings a little bit of Lakewood.

July 3: Belfast (Odyssey Arena)
Nice digs here. The place holds about 10,000. Chris Tomlin hits the stage several weeks after Joel. Not sure why the dearth of events in between the two, but that's not a bad back-to-back if you ask me. Donny Osmond performs October 30. And to think ... I'm stuck in Texas. A few months afterwards, though, it gets better: Black Sabbath (reunited with Ronnie James Dio) performs. I fully realize this'll lead to several rounds of prayer over my taste in music, but that really does sound like an awesome show to this child of the 80s.

July 6: London (Wembley Arena)
The tennis place? Well, not quite. This one's indoors. But after Joel, it's "Cage Rage 23: Hard as Hell" ... some sort of wrestling doohicky. Maybe this makes up for my appreciation of loud guitar music as a youth, but I never really got into wrestling. Oh, sure, when I was like ten. But after you catch on that it really is fake? Seriously ... what's the point? Not to judge, though. Rush, Donny Osmond, Gwen Stefani, and the aforementioned Black Sabbath follow up afterwards. Were money no object, I'd go see Donny Osmond in concert. Hmm ... maybe I shouldn't have added that.

July 7: Birmingham (NEC Arena)
Joel arrives the night after Ozzy Osbourne has a concert. Literally ... the next night after. And just slightly weirder, the order of preceding events runs as follows: Al Green, Steely Dan, Ozzy Osbourne, Joel Osteen. That really gives the phrase "batting cleanup" some new perspective.

So there ya go. Keep the entire traveling bunch in your prayers. Can't wait to hear a few tales of the road when they get back.