| The Paris Music & Passion Ultimate Manilow From Boston to Denver... Backups/Band Platinums Back Home |
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Music & Passion - Las Vegas Hilton - May 25, 2008(View photo gallery here)
This was the most incredible show yet - well, at least one of the most incredible. Talk about being on a "show" high - can't get much higher than this!
Barry finished the opening medley and then turned to his band and said, "Let's do Why Don't We Live Together." I was close to bouncing along with him at that point because I LOVE that song. And he did a great rendition of it. It was sexy and bouncy and rocking - all of that! Again, Barry was priceless during the song. And again, I can't put it into words - YOU JUST HAD TO BE THERE! The backups started to leave the stage after the song, but Barry called them back. Then he asked Ron W. if they could do something - we couldn't hear what they said. But when everyone agreed, Barry walked forward and started talking about having been in a movie and having done this song in the movie. I'm sure I was grinning from ear to ear, because I LOVE this song, too. So, they did Sweet Heaven. I was the one in Sweet Heaven! Then we settled down to the regular show. Ok, we didn't settle down - we won't settle down for weeks, probably. LOL But you know what I mean. Barry sang The Old Songs - then they did Jump Shout Boogie. I didn't notice it tonight, but there was something different about the music the two previous nights. The band starts the song off with a little intro that's kind of neat - then Barry plays the traditional piano part. Again, Barry was adorable with extra little dancing, adding extra little comments here and there... Moonlight Serenade was the song for the dance girl segment again. He had the entire front row audibly sighing. Did you know that melted puddles can sigh? Well, apparently they can - laws of physics simply don't come into play when Manilow is in control! Anyway, no one on the front row of the stage seats really seemed to have any idea what was happening with the dance song. Barry finally picked an older lady. Even though she didn't know that he was going to do this, she seemed to have fun with it. Then they did Bandstand Boogie. Barry was in top form, playing along with this one. He started doing the high kicks with the girls. It was so funny. Now when they all gather at center stage and start waving at the "pretend" cameras, Barry has started jumping back and forth in front of each of the backups as if he's trying to hog all of the camera shots. That's also very funny. 
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Next Barry did Looks Like We Made It. Oh my - he did it again. This song further confused everything we know about physics - because the melted puddles melted again. This rendition was even better than the one he did Friday night. Oh, my - that's all I can say - oh, my. Gestures, and facial expressions, and moves, and... Oh... My...
The piano competition continued with New York City Rhythm. Those guys REALLY played tonight. And when they each came back around a second time, they tried to outdo each other. But Ron W wins the prize! The ballad was I Made It Through the Rain. I think it was the prettiest performance of the song that he's done recently. I have a shot of Barry with an adorable grin as he listens to Grandpa Joe. Even Can't Smile Without You was outstanding. I've never seen him perform the song with that much feeling. Barry continued to play around and have fun during the 60's medley. During Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You, instead of singing to the crowd, he turned around and sang to his backups - first to Keely and Monica, almost cracking them up - then to Melanie - and then he turned to Kye before jumping backwards. And then the audience cracked up! LOL 
Mandy/Could It Be Magic was a very powerful performance tonight - especially the CIBM part. Best performance I've seen over my last few trips. We got all of I Write the Songs tonight. Barry had such a happy look in his eyes as he sang it. He seemed to be happy the entire night. It was contagious. When Barry came back out after Copacabana to start "I see you, baby...", he didn't even wait to do his part at center stage - he just headed straight up the steps. My view was limited, but from what I could see, he was having a blast up there. Then it was time for the It's A Miracle reprise. I didn't want it to be over. But the entire show was so upbeat, the old post-Manilow depression hasn't been able to get quite as tight of a grip as it normally does. Barry ended the show the same way he started it - he seemed to be just as energized. What a way to end a weekend. 
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