Joel first performed the song at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University in New York state on May 6, 1977, when he dedicated it to Christiano's restaurant (now closed) in the nearby hamlet of Syosset.
On May 6, 1977, at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University in New York state, Joel performed the song and honored Christiano's restaurant (which is no longer operational), located in the neighboring hamlet of Syosset.