Wow - this trip is taking me back to the old days of touring around with Barry. Actually, there's only been two other times when I did it as a road trip. Most of the time I go alone and so I just fly into a city and fly out. This time I flew in to Boston, since my friend Marcy lives in a Boston suburb. The drive through Massachusetts and Connecticut was absolutely beautiful. Shortly after we entered New York state, there was a doe and a very young fawn (still had his spots) standing right next to the road grazing! So I, of course, worried about them all the way into New Jersey!
In 2002 I wrote my mini-review of the PNC shows and referred to it as "Dana & Kelly's Most Excellent Adventure." Marcy repeatedly said that this was going to be "Dana & Marcy's Most Excellent Adventure" - and it has certainly turned out to be that. But we only got lost twice; well, three times, if you count trying to get from the hotel to the show last night! Thankfully, we didn't get lost going back to the hotel after the show. Neither Marcy nor I see particularly well in the dark - so that was a minor miracle in and of itself.
And we missed the Tappen Zee Bridge. You might ask how we managed that - we have no idea! LOL It was probably one of those Freudian things - I hate bridges - terrified of them. Especially long bridges... Especially long, high bridges. ESPECIALLY long, high bridges over water... Marcy says she swims well and she would have saved me. But I say I would have died of a heart attack before I hit the water. At any rate, we found it, managed to cross it without my going into hysterics (well, okay, maybe one tiny little blood-curdling scream...). And as I write this, we're heading back toward it again.
As I'm writing this, we're playing one of the CDs that I made especially for the trip. Marcy has been very tolerant of my "mixes" - LOL. (and she hasn't thrown me out of the car yet for singing along) We're listening to a combination of Barry, Linkin Park, the Newsboys, and the Animaniacs! Right now We Live On Borrowed Time is playing. He sang that song during a lot of the shows in 2002. More deja vu...
A lot of memories came flooding back (no pun intended) as I walked in to the PNC. Walking through the parking lot, I suddenly remembered the layout of the place, all the stairs...everything came back. I looked up at the roof where all the water came pouring down that night seven years ago. I looked at the side stages that we scrambled on in an attempt to get out of the water. And then started remembering the make-up matinee, how Barry came out dressed very casually (and looked great!) - how he said he really couldn't see us well normally, so he wanted to just look at us for a while, and he did. Oh, the memories... Anyway...
Before I forget... "Dana writes the words that make the whole world sing." Who done it? Who texted that to the PNC board?? LOL
The show last night was fantastic. I'll admit to being terribly spoiled with Barry's run at the Hilton. After being in that intimate setting so much, the arena shows don't hold quite as much appeal. There's definitely a different audience feel in the arenas - but just not as intimate. The audience is very fan-based at the arenas and very responsive - so there's a lot of excitement. Normally, though, the setting of the arena shows isn't as intimate. But not at the PNC! It's very similar to the Hilton - he felt just as close to us there as he does in Vegas.
Barry opened in his bright red jacket - he looked great. I just love his hair. His voice was fabulous - at times it was heavenly!
The beginning of the show was like it is in Vegas - It's a Miracle, and the Daybreak, Somewhere in the Night, This One's For You medley. It's a Miracle was very lively. Daybreak was cheery, not quite as bouncy as he usually makes it. He was still playing with us during Somewhere in the Night, although toned down a little from what he does in Vegas. And This One's For You came across as very sincere.
I haven't seen an arena show in quite a while, so a lot of the stage design was new to me. The big, circular view screen at the back of the stage is really neat. The quality is great - several times I caught myself looking at Barry on that just because it was so big and bright. The various videos and visual effects that were displayed were so bright and sharp - really fun to watch.
Whew... Just went back over the Tappen Zee Bridge. No screaming this time. Profuse sweating and trembling, but no screaming...
Looks Like We Made It was great - not as sexy as in Vegas, but that's okay. I personally don't think the sexy works as well outside of Vegas. Besides, that's fun to watch when it happens, but it's by no means necessary - Barry can easily sell the song without it. His eyes and facial expressions can sell anything - all I have to do is look into his eyes and I'm wherever he wants me to be.
Weekend in New England was incredible. We got the soft version tonight. And this was one of the times during the show when Barry's vocals were heavenly. As he sang the closing lines of the song, his voice was indescribable. Someone next to me audibly gasped (for real!) And I couldn't stop myself from saying "Wow". Barry's voice was just beautiful - it almost "rang" - no that doesn't convey it - I'm having a very hard time finding words. Honestly, what keeps coming to mind is a harp - his voice was soft, and smooth and just..heavenly. Barry moved just a little into power ballad mode at the end of the song - actually I don't think it was so much that - I think he just got a little more passionate. I definitely "felt" this performance. People did yell out at the beginning of the song - Barry got one of his cute facial expressions and just sat there playing the same notes over and over. Then he announced "I've still got it!". Never doubt Barry, never doubt...
Barry put Bandstand Boogie in the show. It was a lot of fun. This was the version where the backups gather around him and they all wave at "Dick Clark".
After Bandstand Boogie, Barry sat down at the piano - he took off his jacket because it was so hot and humid. He fanned himself a couple of times. He mentioned having done a tour of amphitheaters and that they called it the "wedgie" tour - and then he said he now remembered why they called it that!
The crowd was great - very loud and very responsive to Barry. There was a lot of excitement in the air. Barry made mention that he was back home. And he made the comment "Youse guys talk like me." LOL I know how that feels - when I encounter other Texans, we say the same. Well, we say "Y'all talk right." :-)
Everyone remained standing during Can't Smile Without You. The smiley face on the view screen was big and bright. The mood was very upbeat and happy. Most of the audience sang along for the entire song - that was the first of a couple of times that it happened during the show.
Trying to Get the Feeling/Even Now was really, really great. We got the tender TTGTF again - I believe Barry sang it even more tenderly than he did in Vegas last week. The song definitely takes on a different tone when he does it this way - and it honestly moves me more than the other way. It really tugs at the old heart.
Even Now maintained the same tone as TTGTF. Barry sang it more as a power ballad, but it didn't lose the feel. And I think that long note at the end was even longer and stronger than in Vegas.
One of the different songs was Brooklyn Blues. I haven't heard that one in a while. Brian Culbertson and the saxophone player from his band came out and performed dueling horns during the song.
New York City Rhythm was in the show. There were a lot of great visual effects on the view screen for this song - there were for Brooklyn Blues, too - but these seemed to be more noticeable. A lot of NYC skylines and traffic scenes - a lot of bright colors, too. The keyboardists played their parts during the song, too. Who's the winner? EVERYBODY!
The only Mayflower song we got was Not What You See - of course, that's my favorite. Barry's mic broke, though - so he couldn't perform the song at the keyboard (darn it, I was sitting right in front of that - LOL). He actually tried, by grabbing one of the hand-held mics. He sat down at the keyboard and played a few notes with his right hand, then said "Ron, can you play my left hand?" (I might have the hands reversed, doesn't matter). But then Barry finally decided to get up and go to the grand piano. It was a very cute performance. I thought the song was well received. It might have lost a little by being performed at the piano, but not much. It's just a little less intimate that way, in that setting, because the piano has to be stationary in this type of show. So Barry is a little further away, and that takes away just a little of intimacy of the song. Of course, when he stood up to sing as the young Joe, it was perfect. And so was the exit from the stage as old Joe.
Barry also put I Made It Through the Rain back in the show. He apparently had planned to do something different with it because as he finished the first verse, he said, "Ron, let's do the whole song". That was really nice to hear the full song - I haven't heard that in a long time. The second verse has always been my favorite part of the song, so it wasn't very enjoyable for me.
Barry did stop to briefly talk about the previous PNC experience. He may not have been standing out there in the water with us, but he gave a pretty good description.
This stage setting might not lend itself to the awesome universe effect that you see in Vegas, but Somewhere Down the Road didn't suffer. It was so, so beautiful - so emotional. And, as always, the ending accapella was another of those heavenly voice moments. You know, I honestly can't listen to the recording of SDTR anymore - because it just can't compare with what Barry is doing live.
Ships didn't suffer from the change in settings, either. In fact, to exit the stage after the song, Barry climbed the staircase and stood at the top to end with his arms outstretched. It almost gave the same effect.
The Midnight Special clip was shown on the view screen. Again, this was so sharp and bright - much different than in Vegas. Since the piano was stationary, Barry didn't come back out that way to sing Mandy. Instead, he walked out on the stage, and watched baby Barry with us - there were no lights on him. But he he was illuminated with a blue glow, mostly a reflection from the view screen. He was wearing my favorite white jacket - it was just beautiful. I tried to take a photo, but there just wasn't enough light - that's okay, that memory will stay in mind forever.
Barry's performance of Mandy/Could It Be Magic was very emotional, very passionate. I really "felt" the song last night. Barry did a great job with it.
Everyone sang along with I Write the Songs - for the entire song. In fact, after a couple of lines Barry said, "Everyone sing along". Barry sounded great during the song. And he looked great. He may not think so. It was very, very humid - and fairly comfortable for the audience, but very hot for the performers. So Barry's hair got a little damp and "wispy" (Marcy's word) - but I think it was so totally adorable. The glow sticks were impressive behind us - I'm sure it was a great view for Barry and the gang.
Barry seemed to be having a lot of fun with the first part of Copacabana. He did the "ah love, ah romance, SEX" bit - and then just grinned at us.
Copacabana part 2 was changed up a little from the way it's done in Vegas. Barry and Kye start it at center stage and the first thing they do is "the grab". Then the girls start walking down the staircase wearing those huge headdresses - terrifies me every time I see it - LOL! While that happened, Barry went offstage to change jackets. Then he appeared at the top of the staircase, doing one of his cute poses.
The streamers and confetti came down at the end - tons of confetti - tons and tons of confetti. I did my best to snap a picture of it - and I got one. That has to be the most confetti I've ever seen come down during a show.
Barry's exit from the stage was different than what we normally see. Barry and the backups all walked up the staircase to the top, with their arms around each other. Tried to grab a couple of shots of it - they're decent, not great. Then the backups walked down the back side of the stairs, but Barry stayed at the top. He turned toward us, then turned as if he were going to leave - then did the same thing a second time. And then he came back down the stairs to us.
We weren't sure what kind of encore we would get. Barry said that he hadn't really done this song in a long time, except for the Capitol Fourth. We knew what song he was going to do, of course. And he sang Let Freedom Ring. It was very moving. The view screen in the back had a flag waving. The lights on the stair case were red and blue. Toward the end of the song, the backups came back out to help sing the chorus. I didn't do it, but I definitely had the urge to sing and clap along, the way we did in previous years. It was the perfect ending for the show.
I have no idea what to expect at the Mohegan Sun tonight. I'm thinking this one will be more like an arena show. But I'm looking forward to it.
