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Paris Las Vegas - April 9, 2011(View photo gallery here)
BB-31  But something about the entire opening of the show seemed different. Is the band normally that far back? It felt like they were at least a football field's length away from Barry - I've never noticed that before. During the song, the band platform gradually moves up closer to Barry. Don't know if I'm just noticing another detail that's been there all along, or if it's a change - but it definitely felt different. This was a night of incredible performances. Barry outdid himself. In fact, this review is so late because I was so hyper after the show, I couldn't possibly write - and it's not much better this morning. You got to me, Barry! Not only was this a night of out of this world performances, it was also a silly Barry night. He cranked up the silliness during Bandstand. You know, I might actually be able to get some photos of it if I could stop laughing long enough! Somewhere toward the end of the show (I think during Copa), a couple in the front row decided that the lady would turn around to face the audience and the man she was with would take her photo with Barry in the background. When Barry noticed it, he leaned over a little and started waving at the camera. Too funny! And it was also a night of botched photographs - I did get a few that were keepers - a couple that made me melt just by looking at them. But most were missed shots, goofy faces, and one totally blank one that happened when Barry threw us a kiss at the end of Bring On Tomorrow. Hey, what can I say? Between that performance and the blown kiss, I'm surprised I didn't drop the camera entirely! But on to the review... Daybreak was again very happy. I loved Barry's facial expressions and emphasis on lyrics for this performance. You just had to smile as he sang. Somewhere in the Night was dreamy again. And this is where one of the botched photos happened - Barry's expression was so adorable and I missed it! It's too blurred to use - ack! But the next shot came through, so it's a consolation prize - it's pretty adorable, too, come to think of it. Both SITN and Looks Like We Made It got a little sexier tonight - not so much, uhm, "physically". It was 99% eyes and facial expressions - and that works just fine. We don't need anything else! Barry knows how to "play us over and over again"!  Weekend in New England was fabulous. It was strong! This was the power ballad version of WINE. But not only that, Barry's performance was totally fresh. I don't know where Barry goes when he performs these songs, what he's using as the catalyst for the performance - but wherever he was, I've never seen Barry in that place before. The look in his eyes...he appeared to be totally some place far away. And the facial expressions to emphasize the lyrics. And he actually lightly chuckled at one spot in the song - he sang, "When will our eyes meet...", and chuckled with a half-smile on his face and a look in his eyes that I simply can't find the words to describe. If I were a civilian sitting in the audience, I would have become a fan at that very moment. And as a long time fan, I became one all over again. This is what's so special - he makes me become a fan over and over again, he makes me fall in love over and over again, just like I did when I was 16. All it takes is one five second moment in a song to define BARRY MANILOW. The entire song was incredible - and it made me brave enough to be one of the few to jump up and give him a standing ovation for the performance. Barry did look a little surprised that anyone was standing. He made the comment, "beautiful song, right?" Yes, Barry - beautiful song - but even more beautiful performer - the one who made a bunch of notes and a few words come to life. That's what got us on our feet. Brooklyn Blues and New York City Rhythm were both exceptional. Barry's facial expressions and eyes told the story of Brooklyn Blues. Barry "showed off" again - I think the long note at the end of Brooklyn Blues was almost as long as it was at the March 25 show. Again, I picked up the camera, framed the shot, took the shot, put down the camera, sat back in my seat, watched Barry, watched the backups look at their watches, watched Barry again, got a big smile on my face, watched Barry some more... Incredible!  Barry also put a lot of emphasis on lyrics during New York City Rhythm. The lyrics he emphasizes seems to change from show to show. Tonight he seemed to concentrate more on the second verse - "the music seems to soothe me", "the love I wish I had". But there was a huge smile on Barry's face throughout the entire song. This segment is so alive! Well, I said I wanted to get a shot of Barry flashing us with the lining of his jacket - silly Barry!!! Ha! I'm going to try for another of those tonight if I can remember.  I Am Your Child again had a different feeling. This time Barry seemed to convey...I can't find the word. There was a look in his eyes that I keep wanting to describe as sadness, but that's absolutely not the right word. There was a lot of feeling - a depth to the emotion that I don't normally see. It was almost like a plea - yeah, I think that's closer to what I'm trying to describe. And Nature Boy was matter-of-fact. It was a statement. This time when Barry said, "there's a good lesson in that lyric", it sounded like he really meant it. I don't take a lot of shots of Barry in the Grandpa Joe segment where he's playing the record of Grandpa trying to get baby Barry to sing. But I wanted to try to catch one during this run of shows - got one! But I again missed the shot when Barry turns back around to look at the audience after the photo of baby Barry with Grandpa appears - drat! Barry turned back around to the audience this time and commented on the tie that baby Barry was wearing. So cute!
This One's For You kept the mood going. It also came across as a statement. And like WINE, Barry seemed totally into the song. But instead of having a faraway look in his eyes and instead of it seeming that he was somewhere else, this time it seemed as if he were actually talking to someone - actually trying to get through to someone. That was for the entire song, both at the piano and when he grabbed the mic and walked to the front of the stage. In fact, it may have been even more pronounced when Barry came up front. When he sang, "hope that you'll see", he gestured and that came across as if he were almost pleading with someone to see and understand what he's trying to tell them. A really powerful moment. Barry sang Bring On Tomorrow for us again. Ahh, man... I love this song more and more every time I hear it. Now that I have Barry's live interpretation of it, I love it even more. Barry intros the song by talking about 15 Minutes - what I presume to be the CD cover is shown on the digital displays. Since he's displaying it there, I'm assuming it's okay to show you the photo - I made a point to snap a shot of it last night. Barry made the comment that the CD "will be released in a couple of weeks" - don't know if that's really accurate or not. But we're ready when you are, Barry!  The lighting is just gorgeous during Bring On Tomorrow. When Barry sat down at the piano, he was bathed in this magenta (or is it fuschia?) spotlight, lots of fog swirling around him. He continued to intro the song by talking about the character - how he had just "got the job" and he comes home to find his lady asleep... Then Barry said, "and he whispers to her..." - then Barry begins singing. What a perfect way to intro that song. If that didn't set the mood, I don't know what would. That lighting, those words that Barry chose for the intro, combined with the lyrics to that song - how could you not fall in love with it? Think about it - would someone speaking those words to you not be like a dream come true? Can you imagine anything more romantic - I'm talking pure romance here - the real thing. That's probably why I like this song so much. In a world that has become so superficial, where it seems everyone's attention span is five minutes or less, where love and lust have become synonymous - this lyric expresses the love of a lifetime. What was the comment Barry has frequently made in interviews and the show about the importance of a good lyric? Yeah, some of us still do want to believe in that kind of world, where things are real and lasting. And then combine that beautiful lyric with Barry's even more beautiful music, his phrasing, his ability to use his music to make the lyric jump right off the paper, his ability to make it "real"... The song is pure heaven - it can make you believe.  What is bigger than huge? I just thought the ending of BOT from last night was huge. Barry blew me away with this one - literally. The lights, the sound - and Barry. Everything was bigger than huge. I know in the past I've described a performance as wrapping itself around me - but this went so far beyond me. It had to cover every single person in that showroom. In my last review I mentioned how some of Barry's songs touch me so deeply, and this song being one of them. But wow - I just can't describe what this song did tonight. I had to briefly close my eyes and just surrender to it all. I again let Bring On Tomorrow eclipse the opening song to this segment of the show. Our Love Is Here to Stay was fantastic once more. Love the look in Barry's eyes and the smile on his face and the emphasis he places on certain lyrics during the song. Also love the look on his face when the various paintings appear - such as the conductor painting. Tonight I became very aware of the guitar playing during this song - never noticed it before. Beautiful! As I mentioned, Barry was really playing around during Bandstand tonight - even more so than the night before. I've totally given up on trying to find anything in this segment to interpret other than just plain fun. It's fun - we don't need any other reason for it to be there. And I did remember to try to catch a shot of the backups dragging Barry off the stage. Darn Canon and the fact that they broke the burst mode capabilities of their cameras - I only have one shot at capturing a Kodak moment. And there's just too much going on to for just one shot! But at least I got something, and I'll try again tonight.  Mandy was fabulous - extremely powerful performance. Tons of emotion and passion and feeling. There's a lot of room for Barry to convey different moods with the song, but he chose a good one for tonight's show - it went right along with the rest of the show. I captured this one shot of Barry that almost makes it look like a prayer. The performance was just wonderful.  I believe Barry has topped himself in terms of cuteness when he appears on stage in that tux. Tonight as he made his first appearance, arms spread wide as if to say, "feast your eyes on my fabulous-ness!", he wiggled his eyebrows up and down at us ("am I hot, or what?") Hee! Love it! Love him!  Another blown kiss to end of the show. What a way to send us all floating out the door... This show was again mostly civilians, not a lot of fans. But I heard so many of those people (the civilians) walk out after the show talking about much they enjoyed it. "Great show!" "That was a fun show!!" (and that last comment came from a husband talking to his wife) This show must be a hit. I know we (the fans) always think it is, but from the rest of the world's point of view, it must be a hit. I just see too many happy customers walking out afterward. We've been trying to tell you people! One more show - but the phrase "Bring On Tomorrow" has new meaning now. It used to mean that we were asking for ourselves to be one day closer to the shows being over. But now it means that we're getting one day closer to the next time we see Barry.
All photos and content Copyright ©Dana Holland 
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