I'll try to build on my early show review. And if I'm still missing
something, maybe I'll get it in the Sunday night review.

If it's possible, I think Barry looked happier at this show than he did
at the first one! And I think it was even better!

The set list was the same - and I was glad of that, because it helped me
remember more!

Without going back to look at my photos, I can't tell you if Barry wore
different jackets between the two shows. You'll just have to check out
my photos to see.

Something I didn't notice at the first show (I'm sure because of where I
was sitting), but the images in those "picture frames" that are hanging
above the stage are in 3D. How the heck do they do that? Have any of
you ever watched a Blu-Ray disc? That's what it was like - the images
jumped out at you. That was kind of a cool effect.

Something else I also noticed - Barry has incorporated some of the
choreography from It's A Miracle into Could It Be Magic. The part where
Barry and backups are at the front of the stage dancing together -
that's in CIBM now.

The sound was different at this show - don't know if it was where I was
sitting or if they're still just tweaking it. I could hear different
instruments very distinctly at certain points. For instance, there was
one point where I could hear Mike's guitar - every note of it.

I just love hearing all of Somewhere in the Night. I love the song.
Barry performed this as a love song - but he was walking right on the
edge of getting sexy with it as he did at the Hilton show. He kept it
very classy - there was just enough of the facial expressions and
mannerisms to get your attention. It was a cross between romantic and sexy.

Love the huge smiley face in the background on Can't Smile Without You.
Barry tells us to get into karaoke mode. This song has the same feel as
it did for the last shows at the Hilton - just kind of happy.

This One's For You was exceptional. It was the same as the earlier
show, with Barry talking about his grandfather, etc... But it didn't
seem the song was for his grandfather this time. Something different
that I've never heard Barry do before - as he was singing the last
chorus of the song, he preceded it with "Can't you tell? This one's for
you..." Wow - that was powerful. That grabbed me. Funny how just a
few words can make such a huge difference in a song.

New York City Rhythm. This must be where Brandon has his sax solo.
There are pictures frames hanging from the ceiling with various photos
of guys playing the saxophone. Kind of a jazzy feel. Then Barry comes
out in his black leather jacket. Ooooohhhhh...

They've changed up the way the keyboardists each get their solo moment
during NYCR. For one thing, it feels like the guys are getting longer
solo segments. In addition, instead of the keyboardists putting on
brightly colored jackets and running down to Barry's piano, a grand
piano rolls out for Ron P to play (on the left side of the stage).
After he finishes his solo, he and Barry cross over to Joe on the
opposite side of the stage - Joe plays his solo. Then Ron W come down
from his station to Barry's piano to do his solo. While he's playing,
Barry, Joe and Ron P as well as the backups come over to join him.
After Ron W finishs his solo, the backups go back to their stations.
Then Barry and the 3 keyboardists finish up the solo segment complete
with the hi-five.

One thing I really do miss is It's A Miracle. That's my favorite
Manilow song. Doesn't really matter if it opens the show or not - I
just love to hear him sing it. But Barry, with his arranging genius,
has managed to figure out a way to include it in New York City Rhythm -
it's only a small part, only the words "it's a miracle" as everyone is
gathered around the piano - but at least it's still in there in some
fashion. Really kind of clever how Barry did it.

During the grandfather segment (as I'll affectionately call it from this
point forward), I noticed that Barry also played the first scratchy
record of his grandfather trying to get him to sing Happy Birthday to
his cousin. I didn't notice that at the first show. Too much to
process, I guess - plus, I was excited about the Nature Boy segment.

And Barry's facial expressions as "baby Barry" sings Nature Boy are
priceless. After the recording ends, the piano intro before current day
Barry starts singing the song is wonderful. I really love hearing Barry
sing Nature Boy - there's just something about his voice with those
lyrics...

I think Even Now was even better at this show - more powerful. Barry's
voice didn't falter one bit at the end where he's so passionate and
where he sings that long note. It was fabulous.

I KNOW that I Wanna Be Somebody's Baby was better at this show! And it
was fantastic at the first one. Everyone was up and dancing - heck,
even I couldn't stay still, and I have about 12 left feet. Just a
fantastic performance of a fantastic song.

The Love Song segment (another term for this portion of the show - okay,
I'm lazy and don't want to have to keep typing a description of it over
and over!) was great again. Where Does Love Begin was even more
powerful at this show - incredibly passionate at the end - reminiscent
of when Barry used to perform Every Single Day. Love Me Tender was
again very beautiful and very soft. Barry did at one point gesture
toward the audience, then quickly pull his hand back - don't know if he
thought it wasn't going to work, or what. Actually, it kinda didn't
work - at least not at that point. At any rate, the vocals and music
were just gorgeous.

I think the point in the show where the girls are standing like statues
and Barry is gesturing toward the picture frames is during Our Love Is
Here to Stay. There was still a delay on the changing of the 3rd
picture - so everyone laughed. But, if that's controlled by the
computer, then that means Barry is gesturing a little too soon. Not
sure. It's just a funny, cute moment - doesn't detract from the song.
And I still can't figure out how the girls can stand so still for so long.

It's very good to see Barry being able to perform I Write the Songs so
well. That note at the end was perfect - Barry nailed it. And seemed
quite pleased with himself, too. LOL!

The new 50s-60s segment was great again. Kye does the splits! Ouch!
Barry gave us a couple of funny little dances - so cute! Oh, and when
the girls come out, Kye is pretending to be a photographer taking their
photo.

They had the problem with the Midnight Special video corrected at this
show. Somewhere Barry said that he was taking one thing with him from
the Hilton - I'm guessing this is it.

Barry has found new life with Mandy. The expressions on his face were
priceless. So much emotion...

The dance segment that I mentioned in my last review is kind of cool.
The costumes for Copa are indeed new. Red and black, shiny - very
pretty. Frilly, short skirts for the girls - Kye is wearing an eye
patch! Screens come down from the ceiling for each of the girls - blue
screens, for a lack of a better term. Kye does a little solo dance,
then points to each girl who then does a solo dance in front of their
screen - it has the effect of a silhouette. Really kind of neat. From
the audience perspective, it's truly a silhouette - when I took photos,
however, I could actually see the dancer. Interesting lighting effect.

I was prepared for the tux this time - well, kinda... I'll never be
totally prepared for the tux. He just looks so good in that tux! Hey,
I'm only human... I think Barry realized that he sent us all reeling
with his tux at the first show - he had such a cute grin on his face.

The video effects at the end of Copa are kind of cool. Barry walks (in
his gorgeous tux) back to a screen that has come down from the ceiling.
He faces the audience and then all of these colorful, visual effects
start happening behind him - kind of like flowers growing out of Barry!
They aren't really flowers - they're shapes and patterns - but they grow
behind him, rapidly. Barry really played it up with adorable facial
expressions - mock horror at all of these things growing behind him!

This time Barry didn't stand looking at us as the curtain came down at
show end - he just smiled at us and then walked off the stage.

Don't know what Barry and crew think, but from my perspective, this was
a very succesful opening night. Couldn't have been better.
 

Concert review December 30 2009. Barry Manilow last show at the hilton Las vegas.

 

Who woulda thunk something as small as a finger wiggle could make a person so happy?! I'm still grinning from ear to ear! (we got finger wiggles all night!)

What a show! Take what I said about the show from the previous night and multiply it tenfold. Barry didn't give us a chance to get teary eyed or emotional about this being the last show - at least not while he was on stage. Thinking back, almost every song was upbeat - very few ballads. It was as if he purposely designed the show to keep up from getting too emotional about this being the last - or maybe it was to keep himself from getting to emotional - or maybe both.

I don't have a lot of great photos from the show. I took about a third less than what I normally do - didn't even realize I did that - I guess I was just too "into" the show. And a lot of the ones I do have are blurry. So, sorry for that - but I do have a few.

The show opened with the backups dancing out, as usual. But someone apparently forgot that it tends to help the audience see the performers if there's actually a light shining on them. LOL They finally turned the spotlight on the girls.

Barry was bouncy! He bounced all over the stage all night - it was so cute! He was bouncing During It's A Miracle right after he came on stage. He acted so happy - and he also acted determined to make our night very happy. And he succeeded. I know some ladies had sent back a request for him to wear a tux. He didn't - but he did wear a black suit with a beautiful sparkling tie.

 

 

 

Some of the folks on the front row had brought sheets of paper with letters that spelled out "Thank you" - the intent was for everyone to hold up the letters after the opening song - I was supposed to be the designated photographer of Barry's face if he saw it. But there was some confusion about whether people should hold up the sign after It's A Miracle or after the opening medley - so it all went kind of bust. I think Barry did see it and acknowledged it - but, of course, I missed the shot - so it still went kind of bust.

One thing I need to mention - the incredible feeling among the fans. This was like the old days - no fan politics - just everyone drawn together to love Barry and show him they love him. It was like the old days in Manilow fandom. It was a wonderful feeling. Even though there were a few tears after the curtain went down, we all just stood around looking at each other and knowing we were all feeling the same thing. And we all had the same thing to say - on to the Paris!

I didn't really notice as much emphasis being placed on certain songs and lyrics tonight (with one exception, maybe). It was just a different tone, a different mood. It was happy, very happy.

We even got finger wiggles during the opening medley - why bother emphasizing lyrics when all he has to do is wiggle his fingers and make our hearts flutter! LOL

When Barry finished the opening medley, he said that he was going to do some songs for us that he usually doesn't do. And that led into Why Don't We Live Together for the second night in a row. This performance was even better than the night before. Big smiles all around! I'm having a hard time making a point of how much I love this song, other than to just say that I love it. Again, Barry seemed very happy. It would be difficult for him to smile a huge smile while singing the song, but that's what his eyes conveyed. They sparkled - no, they twinkled! It was like looking into pure joy.

 

 

 

Looks Like We Made It was awesome - but it kind of got eclipsed by the rest of the show. And I guess that's pretty evident by the fact that I totally forgot to include it in the first draft of this review! But Barry did a great job on it. I loved the tone in his voice as he started the song. It may be a break up song, but he was certainly happy about it! The hip action at the end was more cute than sexy this time - because he couldn't get the smile off his face. When it was time for him to start singing again, he just had a huge smile on his face - and he pointed at us with that huge sweeping arm motion that he does so often as if to say, "Oh, you guys!"

 

 

 

I can't remember exactly where in the show he said it, but at one point Barry was walking across the stage engaged in one of his dialogues - and he said, "We made it through another year - healthy, happy and horny." Hey! It's all about the music! (until HE decides to play with us!)

Barry really changed up the set list - so I'm bouncing all over the place trying to write this review. There was no Weekend in New England, no Brooklyn Blues, no Ships, no ballad on a stool at center stage. But we got plenty of other extras. It really was the perfect show considering it was the last of the shows at the Hilton and everyone was on edge emotionally.

Again, Barry gave us Who's Been Sleeping in my Bed. The crowd went wild again. Actually, the crowd hardly sat down again after that! It was really more like an arena show in that respect. He does that song so well - I'll bet if there were any civilians in the audience their mouths were hanging open. He was so animated during the song - what I mean is, he didn't just stand there and sing it - he made us believe it. Yes, Barry really CAN rock!

 

 

 

 

 

 

One shot that would have been awesome because it was so clear is the final shot from the song - but the mic stand got in the way. But we won't complain! (but darn, that was a good shot!) Oh, heck - I'll embed it in the version of the review with photos, anyway. (darn, darn, darn!)

 

 

 

Even Now slowed the pace down a little. It was a very touching, moving performance. I don't think I would call this one passionate - it was the softer Barry - but he really did put a lot of feeling into it. Barry was really into it as he did the part at the piano - he just had this far away look in his eyes. Then when he stood up for the rest of the song, he made it so believable - at the end the performance leaned toward power ballad but not so much that it lost the feeling. And I finally captured my shots of his facial expression as he turns to walk back to the piano for the final notes of the song.

 

 

 

We got Sweet Heaven! No one sat for that! People were cheering so loudly, you couldn't even hear the opening lines of the song. Barry was leaning up against his piano and trying to sing - and also trying not to smile at our reactions. He didn't succeed at the latter. He had a smile on his face throughout the entire song. More sparkling, twinkling eyes. This version of the song was pure Barry - none of the interaction with the backups. It was just a love fest between Barry and the fans. And of course, we loudly sang "We love you Barry Manilow" to him. His facial expressions and mannerisms during the last verse "Oh brother, I'm in love again - so totally in love again" were priceless. I think this may have been the most fun song of the night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barry also had us sing along with him for Can't Smile Without You. And his eyes were still twinkling throughout the song. He ran across the stage to get to both side stage areas to get ladies to sing along with him. And I apologize for not getting photos of the people who were singing - I was just having a hard time getting a clear shot considering the angle. I did get some photos of the lady who sang on the right side stage area on Tuesday night - and also the lady standing next to her (I don't know your name, but I've seen you at a lot of shows, so I suspect you'll see this.)

 

 

 

They lowered the curtain and moved the keyboard out onto the stage. Lately, for this part of the show, Barry walks over to the left side stage area and talks a little about something. Tonight he again thanked the Hilton people (I forgot to mention that he thanked housekeeping, as well) - and he also thanked the pole dancers. ?!? And then he shook his head and said, "No, no!" LOL

Barry performed It's Just Another New Year's Eve on his keyboard. He started off by saying that a lot of people don't like New Year's Eve - and then he said, "But it's really just another night." He always performs this song at the last show of the year - and in the past I've always dreaded it because I'm one of those people who doesn't really care for NYE, and the song always brings me down. Things just seem to happen on NYE. The last 3 years in a row I've lost a pet on NYE. One of my youngest was killed in a freak accident while I was on this trip. So, hearing a song that talks about NYE reminds me of things like that - I don't even want to hear it.

 

 

 

But the song didn't bring me down at this particular show - not at all. This time I found Marty's lyrics very meaningful and very hopeful. And of course, Barry's performance of the lyrics was fantastic - he always crawls into Marty's lyrics and makes you believe every word. It was a really nice performance of the song. I loved Barry's facial expressions throughout the song and his gestures. I guess Barry really did put a lot of emphasis on these lyrics. Barry sang the first part of the song at the keyboard, but then got up and walked to center stage for the rest of it. I believe it was last year I commented that there's something more personal about when he sings the song without the keyboard in front of him - I noticed that this year, too. I don't think it's anything you would notice unless you get to see him do it both ways during the same performance.

As I mentioned Barry skipped Brooklyn Blues, but he did New York City Rhythm. Again, he seemed so very happy and upbeat. The keyboardists were doing more than running around the piano - they were running up and down the keys! Each of them did his own version of a run - it was kind of cool! So for the previous show I refused to pick a winner because everyone was doing something different. This time I refuse to pick a winner because I can't!

 

 

 

In place of the ballad and Ships, we got the upbeat version of Could It Be Magic. Barry always starts it off with the slow version - that was just so beautiful tonight. We suspected the upbeat version was coming. But I was thoroughly enjoying the slow version - another case of Barry crawling into the lyrics. And then it did turn into the upbeat version. Barry was all over the stage - from side to side - actually, he was all night, but there was just something about it this time that stood out. And yes, there were BAMs. You know, I've always enjoyed the BAMs as a cute piece of choreography and enjoyed watching and hearing the audience reaction - but at this show I got to view them from a different perspective. I was sitting dead center on the front row - when Barry walked up to the edge of the stage (and he did walk all the way up to the edge), complete with the wiggling fingers - well, I have been BAMmed! That will definitely get your attention! LOL It's all in fun, though. And I was blushing - I know I was!

 

 

 

Mandy meant more to me tonight than it has in a long time - I'm not sure why - I just know that I was really drawn in to the song and paying close attention to every nuance of Barry's performance. There was a funny moment at the very beginning. As the piano started moving forward from the back of the stage it was still in darkness. I understand the GREEN movement, but that's taking it just a tad too far! Barry started singing anyway - and then he sang, "Walked away when love was dark". He's so quick! The rest of it was beautiful - just beautiful.

He skipped I Write the Songs again - went straight into Copacabana. Barry did most of the song at center stage, which is unusual. He usually goes to the side stage areas. Of course, since I was sitting front and center, I enjoyed the change in routine! He was so cute when he sang, "Ah, love...ah, romance". The cutest facial expression as he cut his eyes over toward us. Also the cutest facial expression as he pouted when he sang, "She lost her love."

For the colorful part of Copa, the platform came down this time. As Barry was walking up the stairs, Kye started his hip-hop routine. One of the security guards, CJ (everyone knows CJ, right) was standing up against the stage with his back to Kye. Kye reached down and put his hand on CJ's head as he was dancing and singing. We all laughed, and so did CJ. I took a photo of it, but it didn't turn out well.

Barry closed with the It's A Miracle reprise - but he managed to arrange Auld Lang Syne right into the middle of it as only Barry can do. There were even balloons that came down from the ceiling along with the streamers and the confetti. Barry did dodge the streamers, but none came close to him. On the other hand, Keely ran into them and was totally covered - and she seemed to be having a blast with that.

Barry didn't really linger that long when he left the stage. He did stop and take one good look at us. Then about halfway to the back of the stage, he turned again and took another quick look - and then he walked off.

 

 

 

No encore - but you know, we would have been crying like babies. As it was, I think almost everyone was fine until he walked through the smoke and the curtain started coming down. Then we were all fighting back tears. Yeah, we'll be seeing him again very soon. But it was still the end of an era in a place that feels like home to so many of us. And there are a lot of unknowns about the new venue. I guess it's human nature to not want to let go of something that we know is good, to be hesitant to take a chance on something new. But like I said in the last review, we'll follow Barry to the ends of the earth. (Note to Garry: I'm speaking figuratively here - don't get any bright ideas - there isn't that much room left on our credit cards!)

And like Barry said in the New Year's Eve song - "we'll be just fine."

As I was leaving the hotel, I looked over at the Manilow store and felt a huge lump starting to form in my throat. But on the way to the airport, I looked out the cab window and saw a huge, bright, magnificent moon setting over the Luxor. So, that put everything in perspective. A magical moon to go with a magical night caused by a magical man. I think Barry got an early start on the Blue Moon - because this weekend was definitely something that will only happen once in a blue moon.

So, let's start the countdown! 60 days until we see Barry at the Paris! (and thank goodness, only 20 until we see him on QVC!)


 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

august 29 2008;

I've been reading the battles on the boards and the mixed reviews about
the new show. To be totally honest, I was almost a little apprehensive
about seeing it. (guess it just goes to show the power of words) So,
before I start this review, and before anyone comes unglued if I say
something that isn't 100% positive, maybe I need to make a few statements.

Yes, he does still look wonderful, and sound wonderful, and if he's
about to die on us, he's hiding it well.

Yes, I still love him - trust me, there's no one that loves him more -
so no problems there.

Lastly, it's been somewhat of a rough summer for me personally. The
music I've listened to has been restricted to heavy metal or
contemporary Christian (how's that for range!) - if the song had
anything to do with love, I wasn't going to listen to it. So, here I am
at a Manilow show - makes a lot of sense, huh? Shattered heart -
Manilow love songs - great combination! I thought I was ready - I
wasn't - Barry did what he does best, he found every single emotion I've
been trying to hide. So, I guess that proves he did his job with the
show, even though my emotional state lowered my enthusiasm level a little.

All of that totally unnecessary drivel aside, on to the review...
Things may be out of order, I may miss some things - I don't take notes,
I rely totally on memory - and there was a lot of change to keep up with.

Thursday morning I hopped on the boards and lists and groups looking for
some word on the new show. The first things I read said "all ballads,
no upbeat stuff" - okay, in my current state of mind, that didn't sound
very promising. Then a little later I read reviews saying that nothing
had changed. Well, those two points of view kind of contradict each
other. So...

Change - yes, in my opinion, this show has changed. I realize some
people don't think it has - but when I look back at all of the details,
it really isn't the same show. There will always have to be
similarities - do we want to go to the show and hear him sing songs that
are totally unfamiliar to us? Just a guess on my part, but I would
think that any changes to the show would have to balance out with the
costs associated with those changes. I guess I really don't know what
others expect when they hear "new show", so maybe that's why I can't
quite understand when people say it hasn't changed. In my opinion, it
*has* changed - a lot. And while I'm not necessarily crazy about all
the changes, I do like some of them - and I'm willing to give the others
a chance. Besides, we're talking about Barry Manilow here - he changes
everything - he's never satisfied. This show will evolve into another
masterpiece, I have no doubt.

All ballads - no, it's not all ballads. Yes, the energy level of the
show is very different. I don't know if that's because the show is
still a work in progress or if this will be a permanent change. (or
maybe it was just me) But there definitely did seem to be a drop in the
energy level.

The first thing I noticed was, of course, that "Ultimate Manilow The
Hits" was displayed on the "screen" as we walked in the door. I like
this new logo - I think it's a nice design - and it's blue - anything
blue is okay by me! They have put draped material (couldn't tell what)
over the railings between the side stage seats and the audience.
They've also put up curtains along the far walls where you used to be
able to look down the corridors. As someone else already mentioned, the
side "stage" areas are now bare.

The intro to the show was very different. The graphics are lovely - the
music is nice - but at the same time, something about it just didn't
seem to fit Manilow. I'll see if my feelings about that change after a
few shows.

Someone else mentioned that when the curtain comes up, you can see Kye
there playing guitar. You could see Kye's silhouette - he was playing
electric guitar, with a rock riff. On the right of Kye are the
silhouettes of Chris, Steve and Brandon. On the left is the silhouette
of David playing a drum. The brass section is also playing -
excellently, I might add. It was all a very nice touch - a great opening.

The lighting, especially the choice of colors is fantastic. Somehow
that statement doesn't convey just how great that part of the show
really was. Everything was not only colorful, it was shiny and
shimmery. The set was beautiful.

The sound left something to be desired - especially the beginning of the
show. It wasn't good at all. But that did get corrected within the
first few songs. Again, a work in progress. That's okay - these are
the previews.

The graphics that are being displayed on the screen behind them as they
perform are different for much of the show. Not only are they
different, we can actually see them now. They were always much more
visible during the arena shows than they were in Vegas. Now they're
very sharp and clear.

Barry opened with It's A Miracle - I hope that never changes - it's
perfect. This is where I first noticed a change in the energy level,
though. I'm still questioning whether or not that was just me.

Next Barry sang the opening medley - Daybreak, Somewhere in the Night,
This One's For You. He didn't perform this in quite the same manner
even though it was the same songs. For one thing, he walked the stage
during the songs - in the past, he would walk during Daybreak, but stay
center stage for the rest of it.

A couple of times during the show, Barry mentioned the gratitude that he
has for his fans. It sounded very, very sincere.

I think one of the things that has been receiving criticism is what I'm
calling the "decades medley". I'm going to reserve judgment on that
until I've seen the show a few times. It's new, it's not what we've
been used to seeing - I have no doubt Barry will be tweaking it.

What I do like about it - the way it starts off with Barry singing a
snippet of The Old Songs, then Barry and gang sitting on stools on the
stage. I also love the costumes, especially those silver jackets - just
gorgeous. And I like the way they come out to the front of the stage
during the medley, the curtain comes down behind them - the colors are
just amazing.

What I don't like about it... No, I won't say I don't like it - let's
just say that it didn't "move me" - it didn't flow. And there wasn't
"enough." And that takes some explanation, I know... I had to come to
Vegas for a business trip in July, when Barry wasn't here. (Vegas
without Barry is no fun!) I went to see Donny & Marie at the MGM
Grand. I really can't say that I enjoyed the show - mainly because all
they sang were tiny little snippets of their songs.

That's kind of how I felt during the decades medley last night. There
just wasn't enough of each song. Now, Barry is a master at coming up
with a great medley, so I'm sure I'll be loving this before it's all
said and done. But last night it just didn't work for me.

The 40's segment was the most changed - would you believe I can't recall
the song that Barry was singing? It wasn't one of the ones that he's
been doing lately. (I don't think!)

For the 50's, he did snippets of Bandstand Boogie and Love Is A Many
Splendored Thing. For the 60's, he did *very* short snippets of Can't
Take My Eyes Off You and You've Lost That Loving Feeling. I think these
were the weakest points in the medley. There really wasn't enough of
these songs - so little that it seemed as if they were out of place,
they didn't even belong in the medley. Of course, those are fan
favorites, not civilian favorites - I understand that. Time-wise, I
can't tell you if he literally sang more of one song than another during
the medley - it's just my perception.

At some point during the medley, when Barry and the backups are all
standing at the front of the stage with the curtain lowered behind them,
each of them does a little dance step. Then Barry "pretends" to be tap
dancing. It's very cute. Oh, I remember - that was during the 50's
segment. Then they all gather together and pretend to be waving at the
camera, with Barry trying to block each of them. That's definitely a
carryover from the old show, but it's cute.

Where the old 60's segment featured each of the girls singing a song
from the Supremes, this featured much shorter segments by each of them
singing...something...I can't remember. Can't believe I've forgotten
that, too. During this part Barry is on the far right and Kye is on the
far left - after the girls finish singing, Barry and Kye walk toward
each other at center stage, singing together. Then the girls come down
and join them. It had the same feeling of camaraderie that What the
World Needs Now Is Love segment.

Another spot that didn't quite work for me was Ready To Take A Chance
Again. He does a little of it, but then moves on to something else.
And then later comes back to it, walks over to the right side stage,
grabs a girl, and has a very quick dance. I saw someone else post that
he danced to Somewhere in the Night. I honestly don't know - I just
remember that it lacked the emotion and personal touch it usually has.
I'm sure it was still very emotional for the lucky lady! I just mean
from a spectator point of view, it seemed kind of hurried.

Somewhere in the first part of the show, Barry introduced a song by
saying it was the most romantic he'd ever done. It was Weekend in New
England. He did a beautiful job with it. There was a lot of yelling
out during the song - at the beginning it was kind of cute. Barry had
some cute facial expressions. But some still yelled out at other points
during the song and I found that a little irritating. Surprisingly,
only a handful of us gave a standing ovation - it deserved much better
than that.

New York City Rhythm is basically unchanged. The keyboardists all come
down and play their little solos - which they all did very well, by the
way. (It's a 3-way tie!)

Copa in the middle of the show is different. But it worked. It starts
out with Kye and the girls coming out in the costumes that they used to
close the show with - Kye in the green jacket, the girls in those
smaller feathered headdresses. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed
Barry standing just off stage in the red crushed velvet jacket. Then he
came on stage to do Copa.

He finishes with "Don't fall in love", and then runs off stage. Stairs
appear in the fog at the back between the 2 band sections. Kye bounces
down the stairs in the outfit that he's been wearing for the arena
shows. He gets a little solo moment. Then the girls come down the
stairs, first Melanie, then Monica, then Keely. They're wearing those
huge feathered headdresses from the arena shows. Then Barry comes out
in his bright yellow jacket - and I agree with another person's post - I
love that jacket and I hope he doesn't change it. The platform is
lowered, and Barry walks up the stairs to do that portion of the show alone.

After Copa was finished, Barry introduced each of his backups at center
stage. I thought that was a nice touch, in contrast to the
introductions he did during the old show as they ran off stage. Barry
had already introduced the band in the same way he always has - but
that's really the only way he can do that.

Somewhere in there Barry sang Can't Smile Without You. Again, a drop in
energy level. Again, I'm questioning if it's just me.

The last half of the show seemed much more cohesive. This was also
where we got all of those heart-wrenching ballads. Barry started with
Memory - no jokes about cats tonight. He did a beautiful job with it -
that was his biggest standing ovation of the night.

Barry also did I Made It Through the Rain, complete with Grandpa Joe.
He got another standing ovation for that one.

The highlight of the night (and also my lowest point, go figure) was the
combination of Somewhere Down the Road and Ships. There was no lack of
emotion in this. The vocals were beautiful. He mentioned having lost
his father before the age of two. There were tears in his eyes during
the songs. I was, quite frankly, dying - it was all I could do to keep
from crying. But it was worth it. And I certainly hope he doesn't take
this bit out anytime soon. After Barry finished the songs, he walks out
through the fog. This really was the best part of the show.

Some joker yelled out in the middle of this portion of the show - that
wasn't amusing.

There was a glitch in the Midnight Special showing prior to the
Mandy/Could It Be Magic medley. Baby Barry froze on us. But they
unstuck him after a few seconds. :-)

One of my favorite moments of the show was that Barry wore my favorite
white jacket for the Mandy medley. (this is supposed to be a show about
music and I'm thrilled about an article of clothing - nothing wrong with
me!)

Mandy/Could It Be Magic were very, very good. There didn't seem to be
as much emotion as there normally is. That was something that I noticed
about the entire night - not only a drop in energy, but also a drop in
emotion. And once again, I'm questioning whether or not it was just my
state of mind.

I Write the Songs was basically unchanged - it was very good, and the
audience sang along well with him.

I'm not remembering the details, but somewhere in there Barry does a
jacket change and moves into the It's A Miracle reprise. Again, I hope
that never changes - I think it's the perfect song - something upbeat to
send out the audience.

As someone else mentioned, the streamers are now a silver material like
mylar. I had learned to protect my eyes when the paper streamers came
down because I had been hit in the face so often by wads of streamers
that didn't unroll. Well, I got smacked with a bullet of mylar that
hurt worse than the paper! But I'll live. LOL These new streamers are
really pretty. I'll bet they're a lot easier to clean up, too
(although, more difficult to try to walk through because they're hard to
break).

The show seemed longer than normal - no idea if it was or not - again, I
don't keep up with those things. It could just be that because so much
was different, I couldn't anticipate and it made it seem longer.

And despite the few downers I experienced, I'm really looking forward to
tonight's show. (Anyone know where I can get a Prozac? LOL) And I
already dread knowing that when I leave tonight I won't be seeing it
again for a month.
 

august 30st 2008

What a difference a day makes! There might have been a lot of things at
Friday's show that didn't quite work for me, but they worked tonight!
And whatever happened to make them "work" was transparent - I can't put
my finger on it. At first I thought it was just me - that I was in a
better frame of mind than I had been the night before. But I've since
spoken with several people who agreed. (I'm soooo glad because you have
no idea how guilty I had been feeling about writing a review that wasn't
100% positive!) If you didn't come back after Friday's show, you missed
out. Saturday's show was excellent! And there were very few changes -
well, one big change (which I'll get to later) - but it didn't affect
the entire show. This show was great from the moment it started.

Tonight's show was high-energy from the moment the curtain was raised.

I mentioned in my last review that I didn't think the intro seemed to
fit the show. I've been trying to figure out why - and I think it's
because of my "history". The intro actually seems very much like
something you would see at any Las Vegas show - and this *is* a Las
Vegas show. I think maybe I've just become accustomed to being
introduced to a Manilow show by being inundated with...Manilow. This
new intro doesn't do that. The graphics are beautiful - the colors, the
images, even the music. But there's little in there that's really
Manilow-centric - and I think that threw me. Also, after talking with
another fan who mentioned that the old intro always got her excited, I
realized that's what's missing from this one - there's nothing in this
new intro to get us excited. But... Did the old intro get the civilian
audience members excited? Or did it only have an effect on Manilow
fans? Good question - it could be that this new intro will actually be
better for the civilians in the audience. I mean, those blue eyes on
the screen made all of us melt - but did the civilians even understand
that? At any rate, I do enjoy the new intro. I think after a few more
shows, it will seem as natural to me as the old intro did.

I love the silhouettes! I know some people don't think those fit,
either - and maybe it's the same kind of thing as with the intro. But I
love them so much, I don't care if they seemed a little unusual at first.

Something that really hit me as I was working on the photo gallery for
the website was the way the lighting affects the tone of the entire
show. For example, if you go look at one of the gallery pages from any
of the Music & Passion shows, and then go look at the gallery page for
one of the Ultimate Manilow shows, you'll see a striking difference - it
jumps right out at you. Personally, I find that fascinating.

The issues with the sound were much better tonight. I'm still having
trouble hearing the girls as the show opens - I can hear them singing,
but can't understand the lyrics. The lighting is also not so great (in
contrast to the rest of the show, where it's much better for the backups
than it was during Music & Passion). At any rate, I like what they're
doing. From what I was able to hear, it's a take on It's A Miracle, and
they're motioning for us to come with them, toward Barry. And then
Barry comes out of the fog.

Barry came out in a beautiful red jacket - bright red. As I said, the
show was high-energy from the start. I've seen him bouncier, but he
still got the show started on a high note.

I managed to get a few more facts straight about the set list tonight.
For one thing, Ready to Take a Chance Again is now actually part of the
opening medley. And he does stroll as he's singing Somewhere in the
Night because that's now the dance song. Tonight's dance segment didn't
seem hurried at all - in fact, it was very nice.

After the opening medley, Barry sang Weekend in New England. Tonight's
version was even better than last night's. Very emotional, very
strong. At the spot in the song where someone usually yells out, I was
expecting it. But there was nothing - for about a second - and then
someone did. Barry kind of smiled, then said, "You're behind a beat!"
LOL The audience laughed loudly. And it almost cracked Barry up, I do
believe. Usually, he recovers from things like that immediately - it
takes him no time to get back into the mood of the song he's
performing. But tonight, his eyes sparkled for quite a while - you can
see it in the photos.

After Weekend in New England (and a well-deserved standing ovation), the
band started playing Bandstand Boogie. The backups come out in their
new silver costumes, while Barry remains in the jacket that he starts
the show in. I didn't notice it during the show, but after reviewing my
photos, it appears that someone inadvertently smacks Keely in the back
of the head as they're all waving at Dick Clark. Very funny. (well,
maybe not so funny for Keely, but she was laughing!)

After they wave at the pretend camera, Keely walks over so that she and
Barry can do their little dance. But tonight, someone was off on the
count or something - because it had a hard time getting started - and
that amused both Barry and Keely (and the audience). I have some great
shots of that moment. (And that's what Barry gets for teasing us about
being behind a beat during WINE! LOL)

After Bandstand Boogie, someone starts bringing out the stools while the
girls help Barry change into his silver jacket. Tonight as he was
changing jackets, he pointed down at his belt buckle - it was a big M,
much like the M logo that the show uses. By the way, when Barry comes
in and out of the fog at the beginning and end of the show, the door is
now that M logo.

The decades medley - I thoroughly enjoyed it this time. This is one of
those "transparent" changes. I can't tell you what the difference is -
but I loved it tonight. The 40's song that I couldn't remember from
last night was Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree. There might be another -
what he sings at the very beginning of that medley isn't familiar to me
- but that particular song isn't all that familiar, so maybe it's all
the same song. Dunno... They also have Chattanooga Choo Choo added
into that portion of the medley.

Since they had already done Bandstand Boogie, the 50's portion of the
medley was Love Is A Many Splendored Thing. For the 60's, again it was
Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You and You've Lost That Loving Feeling.
Those portions weren't any longer than they were the night before - but
for some reason that didn't bother me tonight. It all just went so
smoothly.

Barry did the cute little "pretend to tap dance" bit again tonight (and
it was just as cute) - but I still can't remember what song they're
singing when they do it! It's during the decades medley and it's prior
to Love Is A Many Splendored Thing.

The song that the ladies are all featured on is What the World Needs Now
Is Love. They're singing the actual body of the lyric, rather than just
the chorus. When the backups and Barry join at center stage at the end
of the song, the lighting on them is just beautiful.

The 70's portion of the medley really doesn't seem to be part of the
medley, but I think maybe it's supposed to be. He starts it off with a
portion of Looks Like We Made It - the bad thing about it only being a
portion is that...it's only a portion! LOL Oh, well - if we got all of
every song that we wanted during that show, we'd still be there. Not
that I would mind...

Somewhere around this portion of the show is a Trying to Get the Feeling
Again and Even Now medley. It would be logical for it to be at this
point, but I'm not sure. I can't tell by looking at my photos. He did
these two songs last night, as well - I just forgot to mention them.
Again, the bad part about it only being a portion of the song... But
they were still beautiful.

Barry also sang Memory again. It's not one of my favorite songs
(because there's just something about it that kind of depresses me) -
but his performance was awesome! Before he started singing it, he was
sitting at the piano and just talking. He said something that I
couldn't quite make out, but it caused everyone in the band to really
laugh. And then he said that he had no idea what the lyrics were about
- but that the emotion of the song was great! LOL In spite of the
comedy, he sang it beautifully - an extremely passionate and powerful
performance. And he got a huge standing ovation - he had a hard time
getting us to sit down.

They performed New York City Rhythm next, and it was great again. (Ron
P wins this time!)

Barry sang I Made It Through the Rain (beautiful - standing ovation).
This was also an emotional performance.

And then Can't Smile Without You. There was a lot of energy in this one
tonight. There was a cute moment in the song, when Ron W. decided to
embellish the music just a little - at least, I think it was Ron W.
because Barry quickly turned to look at him and then everyone laughed.
So, I assumed that Ron was the one who had played it and it took Barry
by surprise. It was the same little run that Barry used to throw in for
us when he was in a playful mood - but he hasn't been doing that lately.

And then we got the biggest surprise of the night! Barry started
talking about Could It Be Magic - and I was sitting there thinking,
"WHAT?!? This isn't where he does that!" LOL And then I noticed the
music that the band playing. All this time Barry is doing a long, drawn
out introduction to the song - okay, it wasn't actually that long, but
since my mind had already figured out what was coming, it seemed forever!

At any rate, I'll bet my eyes were as big as saucers - I couldn't
believe it. I looked over at the backups - Kye was grinning from ear to
ear. And then Barry finally said, "Donna Summer had a hit with this
one" - and the audience went wild. So, we got the uptempo version of
Could It Be Magic (yes, BAMs, too!). I was thrilled! I might have seen
him do this version years ago, when I never had good seats to the shows
- but I'm not even sure that I've seen it performed live at all. So,
for all practical purposes, this was brand new to me - and I loved every
second of it! Hope we get that one again some day!

After the song, Barry got a huge standing ovation - the audience was
really cheering. He exclaimed, "I'm still a sex god!" And then said,
"But the sex god has to sit down."

Next came Ships. Barry didn't sing Somewhere Down the Road tonight.
Maybe because he added CIBM?? In a way it was a disappointment because I
really love that song - but it might have been for the best considering
my emotional reaction the night before - definitely don't want to be a
blubbering idiot when I'm sitting about 10 feet away from Barry! Ships
is also one of my favorite songs - and also new to me as far as seeing
Barry perform it live. He did a great job with it - and he did manage
to pull a single tear out of me. The exit from the stage wasn't quite
as moving as it was the night before - I'm not sure if they changed it.
On Friday night, he seemed to take longer - had a bigger effect on us.

An interesting thought about those two songs came to me when I was
flying home after the show (okay, probably interesting only to me and
probably caused by sleep deprivation, but whatever). Both songs can be
interpreted as being about lost love. Of course, Barry clearly stated
the night before that they don't have to be taken that way - that they
aren't necessarily about romance, but could be about any kind of
relationship. But at any rate, if you think about the lyrics, Somewhere
Down the Road at first seems to be a very sad, hopeless song - until the
end when the lyrics say, "Maybe we've only just begun, maybe the best is
yet to come." So the song actually does imply hope. Ships, on the
other hand, really doesn't imply hope - it basically says that the
people in the song have given up and accepted that they'll always be
apart. So now, which one is really the biggest tear-jerker? Okay, so
much for random thoughts - back to the review...

I know some don't like where they've placed Copacabana and what they're
doing, but I really like it. I like the costumes, and they way they
change costumes during the song. I like the stairs - and I actually
like what Barry is doing up on the platform now. And I like the way
Barry comes out in a different jacket (tonight was the purple crushed
velvet) and leans up against the wall to start the song. It's really
cute.

At the point in the song where Barry is supposed to do his little dance
and "Ole!", he said something off mic, then abruptly turned around and
shook his butt at us. LOL Took me by surprise, so I didn't get a
picture of it. Then he turned back around and finished the dance.

As Barry was finishing up the first half of the song, I looked over at
the brass section - they had their own choreography going up there - it
was great!

No glitches with the baby Barry video tonight. And Barry did the
Mandy/CIBM medley in my favorite jacket again. You ask when I'm going
to stop talking about my favorite jacket? NEVER! I love that jacket!
LOL (and while I'm discussing things that have nothing to do with his
music, Barry's hair last night was just perfect!)

Although last night's Mandy didn't seem very emotional, tonight's
version definitely was.

The lighting for Mandy has changed - for the better. Whatever they were
doing back in May and June put a really strange blue glow on Barry - it
was especially noticeable in the photographs. It was almost eery. Now
it's just normal lighting. Looks much better.

Barry sang I Write the Songs differently both nights this weekend. It
"feels" like he's found a new meaning or new perspective in it. It's
softer, and seems more introspective. At any rate, it's a nice touch.

This was a great show. If anyone has been worried about seeing the
"official" opening later this month, don't be - this show will be
perfect by next week. Barry and his crew are the most amazing
professionals. I can't wait to come back to see the show again.
 

July 26, 2007

As usual during convention week, it was a wild crowd. A lot of yelling and screaming and standing. I must be getting old, because I just can't stand up during an entire show anymore - and so, I missed "seeing" several songs (such as the entire 60's segment). But it didn't keep me from hearing - and Barry was in fine voice last night. I don't think I've ever heard him sound better.

And he truly appeared to be loving every minute up on the stage. He was playful and energetic and seemed to be trying to absorb every ounce of love that was being thrown at him from the fan club members in the audience. And that's a lot of love to absorb!

The set list was basically the same as what he's been doing lately, but he threw in a few extras for us.

He did the 40's segment, and the 50's - he cut Love Is A Many Splendored Thing a little short, I'm guessing to fit in the extras.

I think Trying to Get the Feeling was the most powerful performance of the night. He did a portion of it with no band backup - just Barry and the piano - he changed the arrangement slightly. It was beautiful. He also changed the way he performed it. I think some of the audience didn't "get it", but he actually stopped playing and singing at one point, just before going into the chorus, gestured as if to say "what can I do?" and had a look on his face that would rip your heart out. At least, that's how I interpreted it. At any rate, it definitely got to me. And the ending was one of the most powerful I've ever seen. Awesome performance!

We got Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed (I stood for that one!) - love that song. He could perform that song in every show and I would never get tired of it.

At the end of the song, he stopped to tell the joke about the priest, the nun and the camel. Oh, Barry! LOL

TTGTF may have been the most powerful performance, but what he did to start the 60's segment was the most touching. And I was very glad that my seat was on the far side right next to the Rock Bottom stage. Barry did the Nehru jacket, funny cigarette bit (and I could actually smell the smoke from that cigarette - Barry, stop inhaling! LOL) - but instead of doing Yesterday, Barry sang Best Seat in the House. It was so beautiful. Early in the song he asked Seth to turn the lights up so he could "really see these beautiful people." As he sang he looked around at all of the audience members - really looked at us. It was so sweet. It blew me away - I honestly don't remember much about the rest of the show because of it.

The rest of the show was typical - 60's, 70's (Mandy was beautiful), and then Copa on the platform. The Chinese fire drill version of New York City Rhythm was in there, also - that's always fun.

Maybe it's just me, but it seems that his arrangements are leaning toward either being very soft and gentle or very BIG. When his entire band is playing behind him, it's a BIG sound - you would think there were a lot more instruments than what you can actually see. And when it's just Barry and his piano (and he's doing that more frequently - these extra songs on his new CD should be fantastic!) it's soft and gentle and the music is full of emotion. Even when he isn't singing, the music carries the feelings. This man is good! But we already knew that, didn't we?

As for convention activities, I actually attended the cocktail party at the Tempo (gasp!). And I actually stayed the entire time (double gasp!!). It's really pretty in there. I still doubt I would ever go in by myself - but I did enjoy the time I was in there.

Tonight was a little wilder than last night, but that was to be expected since this was the first full night of the BMIFC convention. I'm sure Saturday night will be even wilder. Yes, everyone was on their feet throughout much of the show - I was standing right along with them this time. It was nice that there didn't seem to be any civilians in my vicinity. I take that back - I believe the couple directly behind me were civilians, but I overheard her as the show started state that she intended to stand because she knew everyone else would. And I never heard a complaint from them.

I was in row H center - too far back to get the "eye contact affect", but it provided a different view and perspective on the show, so I kind of enjoyed it. I think you can better appreciate how beautiful the stage and lighting really is. I personally didn't notice any difference in the sound although I've had people tell me there is one.

I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing, but again I was struck by the fact that I lose some of the excitement of being at the show when I'm sitting further back (I think I've mentioned that before). I don't lose the enjoyment, I lose the excitement. There really is a difference there, as strange as it sounds. I loved the show - wasn't the least bit disappointed in my seat - but still didn't have that same feeling that I normally do when I'm sitting closer. I've been trying to figure it out - I just keep coming back to the thought that when you're closer you must somehow be able to feel Barry's energy. I have no other explanation. Row H isn't a bad seat at all - I had a great view. Heck, I've had a great view in the balcony! So, it has nothing to do with how well you can see or hear - there were no problems there. I think it's going to drive me crazy until I can figure out what the difference is, though - one of those puzzles that I've just got to figure out. Whatever it is, that must be the element that keeps so many of us coming back over and over and over again. Oh, well - so much for deep thoughts - on to gushing...

The crowd roared when Barry took the stage. I wonder what it sounds like to Barry and the rest of the crew? Is it even louder to them? Oops, there I go thinking again...

He opened with the standard songs - actually, I hope he doesn't change that - I think it's a great opening. And he had a new jacket - gray with stripes - kind of an interesting look. I liked it.

The highlight of the evening for me was Why Don't We Live Together. I love that song - it's one of my favorites. I'll admit I prefer it with the original lyrics, but I'll take it any way I can get it. I remember Barry performing that song on the 2004 tour - he had added a groove to it that wasn't there on the original recording. I think he added even more of a groove tonight. It kind of rocked.

When it was time for his mid-show ballad, he asked what he should do. There were many, many suggestions from the audience. It seemed to me that I heard Weekend in New England more than anything else - perhaps wishful thinking on my part, since I adore that song and he always seems to do it the night after I leave. But he chose to do Even Now. A great performance, but not one of the tops I've seen. Geez, that sounded terrible - okay, let me qualify that statement. It was an awesome performance - it was flawless. It just didn't generate the passion in me that it has in the past - maybe we can blame that on the seat location.

Instead of Yesterday, Barry did The Best of Me. The first comment that I want to make is that I loved it - WE ALL loved it. Yes, he forgot the words. As he started in with the first verse, I just had this gut feeling that he was going to forget the words. Sure enough, he hesitantly sang, "I can't believe...I forgot the words." So, yes, he messed up - but who cares? For one thing, instead of getting all flustered, he continued on like the professional that he is. For another thing, I believe most of his fans really enjoy seeing those human moments - that's what makes him seem so real and endearing to us. He goofed a couple of other times in the song, always got the chorus right. But let's face it, there are certain songs (and this is one) that are so loved by the fans and that generate so much emotion from the fans, it doesn't really matter if they're letter perfect. In fact, with this particular song as long as he got through the opening line ("No one can ever touch me more..."), I don't think it would really matter if he sat there and babbled incoherently as long as he stayed in tune with the music - we were already goners long before he made his first mistake. I also remember that when he performed that song last year while I was in the audience, he forgot the lyrics. So, Barry - feel free to blame me - it must be my fault! After he had flubbed the lines a couple of times, he got a look on his face that was half exasperation and half amusement, then reached over and picked up the cigarette as if he were about to take a drag. But then he put it back down. It got a big laugh out of the audience.

We got a portion of the Mayflower medley - They Dance, Hot Stuff, and Signed, Sealed, Delivered. He wore one of his black leather jackets! Oooh! As Kye brought the leather jacket out, Barry started taking off the one he was wearing. There were squeals from the audience - and Barry said to Kye "They like it when I take my clothes off." Kye started laughing, as did the audience.

The rest of the show was standard. It was interesting seeing Copa from row H. I got a few photos of them all up on the platform. Nothing spectacular, but different.

Tomorrow night I'm sitting a little further back and farther to the side. Should be interesting.

I was even further back tonight - row J - this time on the far right (or is it left? Whatever - it was on the former Dew Drop side). I still stick by last night's statement that even though I still have as much enjoyment, I don't have the same excitement. But as far as being able to appreciate the beauty of the set, this seat was even better than last night's. I caught myself several times taking my attention away from the performers just to admire the stage and the lighting. I even zoomed out to take some photos of what I was seeing overall. It's really beautiful work.

I was right about the crowd being even wilder - or at least, louder. I think that we were probably on our feet for almost 2/3 of the show. (note to Garry: I was standing!) I noticed a few civilians around us, but they all joined in with the exception of one - and he didn't complain.

I finally got Weekend in New England! And what a fantastic performance it was! Very powerful. Now *that* performance was strong enough to give me butterflies even back in row J. Still gives me chills when I think about it.

This time instead of Yesterday, Barry sang Old Friend, followed by Forever and a Day. I was too far away to see the emotion on his face, if there was any - but his body language seemed to indicate that it was very emotional for him.

He did a portion of the Mayflower medley again - same as last night. Except this time he asked for a different jacket because he said the black leather one was too hot. I have to admit it was warm in the theater - I normally wear long sleeves and even then I freeze - but I was wearing short sleeves and still warm. Must have been all those love sick fans generating the heat!

Barry did wear the leather jacket for a brief time. Again, as Kye brought out the new jacket and Barry took the other one off, there were squeals from the audience. Barry look at Kye and said "I don't want to know!" Everyone laughed again.

Barry obviously loves having the fans there. It's a completely different atmosphere. I do like the more sedate crowds, but I like seeing Barry when the audience is full of real fans, as well. It's kind of cool to see him so happy - and he truly appeared happy.

Fan club activites were a blast. Garry's Q&A was hilarious - he should be a stand-up comedian. Found out about a lot of great projects. I'm going to assume all of this has already been posted elsewhere, so I won't repeat it. Let's just say we have a lot of look forward to - and I need a raise!

The Mentalist was excellent - he was very entertaining - he did a couple of things that still have me stumped.

And then we got a Q&A with Barry! And he brought almost all of his band with him. It's so enjoyable to see him in that kind of setting. He seems so relaxed. He played Silver Bells from the new Christmas CD - it started out in more of the traditional mode, with the exception of all of the different Barry-voices. And then it really turned jazzy in the middle. He also played It Never Rains in Southern California from the new 70's CD. This is another case of Barry making me like something I hate - I never liked that song, but I definitely like his version of it.

Again, I'm sure someone else has posted just about everything he said, so I won't go back over it. I do particularly remember the comment he made about those of us who see the show frequently and how he wondered if we didn't get tired of seeing the same old thing. The answer, of course, is no - we don't. We aren't just there to hear the music - we're there to see HIM PERFORM THE MUSIC. And that will never get old. It's never the same - every performance is unique. We'll never get tired of Barry.