It's Still Rock and Roll to Him: How Andrew Klein Became Barely Joel

By Joanie Cox Henry

Some musicians discover their life's calling through a lightning-bolt moment. Others spend years chasing different sounds before eventually finding their lane. For Andrew Klein, the answer was sitting at a piano long before he ever stepped onto a stage.

Billy Joel did not simply influence Klein. Billy Joel is the reason Klein became a musician in the first place.

"I've always loved playing and singing Billy Joel," Klein says. "I mean, he's literally the reason I wanted to learn to play piano and sing as a kid."

That kind of origin story feels fitting when you talk to Klein. He doesn't speak about Billy Joel the way casual fans do. There's no detached admiration. No carefully crafted musician-to-musician analysis. Instead, there's the unmistakable enthusiasm of someone who grew up with those songs permanently embedded in his DNA.

Ask him which Billy Joel song first hooked him, and he immediately rejects the premise of the question.

"I really can't remember just one song," he says with a laugh. "Even early on, it was always just the Greatest Hits albums, Volumes One and Two. Then when Volume Three came out in the '90s, it was just all three of those discs on repeat constantly."

Like many fans of his generation, Klein didn't fall in love with one Billy Joel song. He fell in love with the entire catalog.

One moment he's talking about the sprawling brilliance of "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant." The next he's praising the emotional pull of "Vienna," a song that has become something of a personal favorite over the years.

"'Scenes From an Italian Restaurant' is always a favorite of mine," he says. "But then in later years, 'Vienna' took over."

Piano Man: Andrew Klein was born to perform Billy Joel's Music.

That lifelong connection eventually led to the creation of Barely Joel, a project that began almost accidentally before growing into something much bigger.

The funny thing is that Klein never set out to launch a tribute band. In fact, the first seeds were planted during his regular performances at Crazy Uncle Mike's in Boca Raton, where he had been playing happy hour gigs since around 2019.

"One day, Mike Goodwin asks me if I can do a couple sets worth of Billy Joel material, and just like that, we added our monthly Billy nights," Klein remarks.

Simple enough.

Play some Billy Joel songs. Have some fun. See what happens. Then life threw him a curveball. "After a few months of doing the Billy nights at Mike's, I get a message on Instagram from someone I don't know," Klein explains.

That random message led to Klein assembling a full band to perform an all-Billy Joel show for Rock and Roll Playhouse, the national concert series that creates family-friendly rock shows for parents and their children. The experience left an impression.

"It was really cool seeing all the little ones rocking out to my first rendition of my Billy Joel tribute band," Andrew Klein adds.

At the time, though, Klein figured that was probably the end of it. The show happened. The audience had fun. Mission accomplished. Or so he thought.

A year later, another Rock and Roll Playhouse Billy Joel performance brought those same feelings rushing back. This time something felt different.

"After this one, I suddenly felt this desire to want to do more with it," Klein says. "Like I just knew this had some real potential and I had to find out where it could go."

Much like hearing a Billy Joel song for the first time, that moment changed everything.

Back in October of 2025, Klein made a decision that would eventually become Barely Joel.

"I decided I wanted to do this thing for real and put on a legitimate, kick-ass, best Billy tribute band anyone's ever seen type show," he reveals.

There is something refreshingly honest about that statement. He had no carefully rehearsed branding strategy. Just a musician admitting that he wanted to create something great that people could connect with. That is as Billy Joel as it gets!

So he called Mike.

"I hit up Mike, we locked in a date, and so it began," Klein states.

If the band's origin story feels organic, the name itself feels even more so.

Barely Joel sounds like the kind of title that would take weeks of brainstorming sessions and dozens of rejected ideas. Instead, it came from a running joke. Years ago, while working at Nino's of Boca, which was a restaurant Adam Sandler and Kevin James dined at, Klein kept hearing the same comment from customers. Specifically, older female customers. Acually, a lot of older female customers!

After A Star Is Born hit theaters, they became convinced that Klein resembled Bradley Cooper. Klein remains unconvinced.

"I assumed simply because I had longer-ish hair and a beard, and they probably couldn't see too well because I don't think I look like him," he says with a smile. Still, the comments kept coming.

"And every time they told me I looked like Bradley Cooper, I said, 'Barely. I'm Barely Cooper.'"

Eventually, "Barely Cooper" became an inside joke among friends. And it's essential to note that Klein is just as funny as he is talented on the keys. Years later, Klein posted a clip from one of his Billy Joel nights. One friend immediately saw the opportunity.

"One of my friends who was in on the joke commented, 'Barely Joel,'" he recalls.

That was it. The search was over.

"After that, it just clicked and it seemed like the perfect name."

If you've ever met Klein, the name feels especially appropriate. Equal parts confidence and self-deprecating humor, it's impossible to separate the title from the personality behind it.

"Not sure about spirit or personality, but I definitely picked it because I thought it was kinda funny, but also cool," he says. "And if you know me at all, you know I'm pretty funny... and cool."

But of course, launching a tribute band is about more than a clever name.

It's about doing justice to one of the most beloved songbooks in American music.

For Klein, the appeal of Billy Joel's catalog is surprisingly simple.

"He's just one of the greats. Like a modern-day Mozart," Klein comments.

It's a statement that might sound hyperbolic if it weren't coming from someone who has spent years immersed in the music.

"There's something about the music that just doesn't get old," he says. "His lyrics are also some of the best out there."

That admiration shaped every decision when it came time to build the debut setlist.

There was no elaborate strategy. No attempt to impress hardcore collectors with obscure album tracks.

Klein trusted his instincts, which is something all great musicians must learn to do.

"Honestly, I just picked songs that I liked and that I thought would play well to the crowd," he admits.

He also had another practical consideration.

"I wanted stuff that wasn't too obscure or difficult for my guys to learn," he mentions.

The result, he says proudly, is "a pretty bangin' setlist."

Assembling the band proved to be far more difficult than selecting the songs.

"The hardest part of this project was getting everyone in the band ready to rock with the setlist we picked," Klein informs.

Every musician reading this knows exactly what comes next.

Scheduling. Rehearsing. Rescheduling. Trying to coordinate five adults with jobs, families, obligations, and lives outside the rehearsal room. To quote Joel himself, it's ultimately "A Matter of Trust."

"Hours and hours of rehearsals and scheduling and rescheduling with four other adults with their own lives going on," he says.

And all of that effort was aimed at one goal.

"Making sure that we don't just sound okay, but sound fucking great," he explains is the main goal.

That pursuit of excellence explains why Barely Joel feels less like a pure passion project. Klein isn't interested in simply recreating Billy Joel songs. He's interested in creating an experience that people will not forget. And let's face it. Boca Raton is basically the sixth borough of NYC. Joel himself resides here so it seems appropriate for Barely Joel to set sail on their own River of Dreams here.

An evening where people can walk into Crazy Uncle Mike's and spend a few hours singing along to music that has somehow survived every cultural shift, every changing trend, and every passing decade.

If Billy Joel himself happened to walk through the door during the band's debut performance, Klein already knows which song he'd play.

"I guess I'd have to do 'Vienna' for him," he joyfully says.

And what would he hope Billy Joel thought afterward?

"I guess I'd want him to think that I did a good job and that I sounded good," he says.

It's the honest answer of a fan. It's also the answer of a musician who understands exactly where he came from. As for what happens after opening night, Klein's eyes are already fixed on the horizon.

"I'm most excited to see what gigs we do after this one and how big this thing can really grow," Klein adds. "I'm hoping everyone takes away that there's a new Billy Joel tribute band in town that's about to take over."

What feels certain about this new band is that Klein's enthusiasm is genuine.

The kid who learned piano because of Billy Joel is still very much present.

He's just standing center stage now. And it's a moment he's been ready for for "The Longest Time."

See Barely Joel Live at Crazy Uncle Mike's on June 24, 2026!

Get ready to sing your heart out as Barely Joel brings the music of Billy Joel to Crazy Uncle Mike's on June 24! From "Piano Man" to "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant," it's a night packed with timeless hits, great food, cold drinks, and all the nostalgia your inner Piano Man can handle.

🎶 June 24 at 7p.m. at Crazy Uncle Mike's, Boca Raton

Come for the music. Stay for the memories. Get your tickets here.