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Paris Las Vegas - October 22, 2011(View photo gallery here)
CC-29  Can't Smile Without You really did sound like a huge karaoke bar, even if the audience was mainly composed of civilians. I was actually a little concerned that they might not stand when Barry asked us to - they weren't standing to give ovations the way the fans were. But they did all stand and sing along when Barry requested it. He played around with the lyrics, just a tiny bit - well, a little more than he did on Friday night. He seemed to hold that note at the end for even longer than normal - a lot longer. After he stopped singing, he looked at the audience (one of those big-eyed looks) and mouthed something - it looked like he said, "How was that?" As he came to the ballad segment, Barry again said, "I must have a ballad in here somewhere." There was laughter from the civilians. Barry sat down at the piano and asked what he should do - and there were a lot of song titles being yelled - this time I couldn't distinguish any one song, just too much noise. Barry said, "Of course, we'll do Mandy but that's later in the show. And we'll do I Write the Songs later, too." And then Barry said, "We've been rehearsing..." and he let his voice trail off. It's not nice to tease us, Barry! Ha! And then he started playing Even Now. This was another incredible performance of Even Now. Lots of feeling in this performance. Barry's facial expressions really fit beautifully with the lyrics. At the beginning of the song I have a series of shots that show Barry moving into his "mood" for the song - really interesting. It also kind of looks like someone might be talking to him in his ear monitors - I don't know that they were - it's just that there was an expression on his face that looked like he was listening to someone and acknowledging them. Regardless, Barry really got into the mood. This performance was one of those where you just sit there and sigh - you can really feel the lyrics - Barry does such a beautiful job of acting them out. I debated about posting this photo from the spot in the song where Barry gets that anguished look on his face as he turns to walk to the back of the stage - but this is the most expressive I've ever seen him during that moment in the song - I'm really glad I caught the shot.  This was one of those nights when Barry really reached for the audience at the end of Even Now. I can see still the way his hand stretched out toward us - it almost looked like he was trying as hard as he could to reach us, but there was something invisible in the background pulling him back. There was still anguish on his face and in his eyes. Man, what a moment! I couldn't take any photos - it would have been perfect - where I was sitting Barry would have been reaching right into the camera. But I just couldn't take any. Regardless of how I have a need to document all this, regardless of how many times I've seen Barry do this, there are moments when he just owns me - and this was one of them. Barry played to the audience a lot during Brooklyn Blues. Maybe not so much playing to the audience - he just sang to the audience, connected with the audience as he acted out the lyrics. I love it when he does that. Barry has consistently made this song feel very real and personal as he performs it. But some nights he takes it an extra step and makes it feel as if he were actually conversing with the audience - not just telling the story to the audience, but more like it's a one-on-one conversation. As Barry called the backups forward, he referred to them again as his "gang". Then he said something to the effect of them being a "better kind of gang". Or maybe "I like this kind of gang." Something like that, anyway. I think he was trying to tie the record with his long note again tonight - and he got close! After he stopped singing, he licked his thumb and touched it to his shoulder - and then said, "I'm just showing off!"  I Am Your Child was just as beautiful tonight as it has been at all of the shows lately. This rendition didn't seem as sad. It was still very touching, still kind of got to you. But not in a depressing way. Barry wasn't letting any song go down that road. He was keeping everything on a positive note. Both the "happy birthday" bit and the "baby Barry" bit were a little more serious - Barry was still amusing, he just didn't go off into the silly mode the way he does sometimes. He didn't even "conduct" during Nature Boy - even though he was smiling, he had a more serious look in his eyes, as if he were contemplating the meaning of the song. This One's For You was back to the good feeling version. Before he started the song, Barry did his normal dialogue about how when he sings this song he thinks of Grandpa. And then sometimes he says "Grandpa" again - sometimes with a chuckle, sometimes in a more serious tone. But tonight he did that - he said "Grandpa" a second time - and then kind of under his breath he said, "You would love this..." I love when he talks to himself like that and we can hear it! This was another of those songs where Barry totally owned me. I tried to take a shot or two as Barry started the song, but he was connecting with the audience so strongly, I couldn't do it - all I could do was sit there and be pulled into the song with him. Part of me was melting and part of me was fighting back a huge smile - somehow the smile didn't seem appropriate during this type of ballad - but yet, what Barry was conveying wasn't the sad interpretation of the lyrics. It was more like a tender message. I tried once again to take a shot, and snapped one quickly, but Barry won out - my memory of that moment will have to reside inside my head, because I couldn't let go of that feeling that he was projecting out from the stage. I did snap a shot or two toward the end of the song, after Barry walked to the front of the stage - I normally don't take any shots then. But even at that, I could only snap a couple of shots.  I keep trying to get a shot of Brandon playing the sax for the opening of New York City Rhythm, but I just can't get one. The blue glow is very striking, but I can't get photos. I think I could if I took the time to adjust the settings on my camera - but there really isn't time enough to do that, then get everything set back for when the rest of the performers hit the stage. Maybe next time I'm sitting in the proper location in the audience I might give it a try - for Sunday night I'm sitting too far to the side. Barry had a big smile on his face when he came back out for New York City Rhythm. His facial expression when he asked if he should go on Dancing With the Stars was even funnier than usual. And I loved the facial expressions directed toward the audience as Barry played his little piano solo. During the chase around the piano, Barry played air piano for us again, and I STILL missed the shot. Ron P was laughing at Barry when he did the air piano bit. I got a totally adorable photo of Barry with the goofiest expression on his face as he was flashing us with his jacket lining. I can't post it - because he would come down off the stage at the next show and throttle me. (Hmmm, could it be worth it? Nah, I would miss the rest of the show.) So I'll just provide this one from his piano solo.  Love Is Here To Stay was sweetly romantic tonight. Barry's eyes glistened again. And he did that little stroll across the stage that makes you just melt. Love it, love it, love it when he does that. And love it when he sings the song with this tone, especially when his eyes sparkle like they did tonight. I think this shot conveys the mood of the song. I heard some very nice jazzy piano playing during the song, too. One night I heard some nice guitar work. I actually hear quite a bit of great musicianship going on during that song - but Barry's has a way of making me forget that anything exists other than him during this song.  Normally I don't take shots during any of Barry's dialogues (well, sometimes during the Grandpa Joe segment). But as he was talking tonight, the spotlights at the beginning of 15 Minutes got my attention. I loved those orange spotlights shining down with the blue glow on the floor. Had to take a photo of that. Barry really dug into his dialogue tonight. He expanded it a little - he said basically the same things, but he would stick in a little extra comment or two. And he intently looked out at the audience as he did it. The part that keeps sticking in my mind is when he was talking about how hard fame is to deal with and how he's been through it and knows what it feels like.  It was another excellent rendition of 15 Minutes - excellent, fabulous, magnificent, superb, awe-inspiring... Oh, did I mention that I liked Barry's performance? Hee! It was really great - he has SO got those vocals and that attitude down. His eyes will absolutely mesmerize you. This is a far cry from that romantic look that turns us all into puddles. This is so intense. Barry has absolutely found the "truth" in this song. It's probably no more appropriate to smile during this song than it is a tender ballad, but I can't help it. I love what he's doing up there. Barry really connected with the audience, too. Usually he's singing to this imaginary spot in the back of the theater. But this time he would look people right in the eye (or so it seemed), with this intense, burning gaze. Awesome!  Tonight I heard the bass. Well, I always hear the bass. But what I mean is, Stan's bass playing jumped out at me tonight. I had actually been thinking this past week about how various instruments have jumped out at me over time, but never the bass. But as Barry sang, I suddenly heard the bass loud and clear. I think my head literally jerked over to Stan - I had to watch him for a moment. I've watched bass players occasionally, but I've never noticed anyone playing anything as complex as what Stan was playing. Barry ended the song with the double fist stance again. Tonight he literally pounded the air with his fists for those closing notes of the song - that was pretty cool to watch. Even the closing of the song had a lot of attitude.  There's been a reconciliation! Barry is back with the girl during Bring On Tomorrow! Ha! Tonight's performance was back to that romantic feel. You could feel the guy's excitement about his success AND you could also feel his affection for the girl. Barry connected so strongly with the audience, I botched every shot except this one. He rattled me! "They told we're crazy..." didn't have the attitude that it usually has - those lines are usually delivered in a much more forceful manner, there's a much more defiant attitude. But Barry delivered those lines kind of tenderly tonight - it fit in perfectly with the rest of the performance. This time it didn't feel like the guy was leaving the girl behind - this time it felt like she was number one. It was really a fabulous performance.  Bandstand was great. Everyone seemed to kick it up yet another notch. At face value, you're just watching a fun performance. But seriously, there's some great talent being displayed. David and Russ have been changing up what they're doing during their drum solos - I've heard something new almost every night. And even though the dancers are goofing around, you can tell that's it serious choreography and performing. They've just taken it to a point where it all seems totally natural - and that makes it fun for the audience. Oh, and I finally got some good shots of Barry being dragged off the stage.  Mandy was fabulous. Barry hasn't grabbed me with that song to this degree in a long time. Not even in DC when he performed the full song for us. The song was incredibly emotional. This wasn't passion this time - this was pure emotion. I think I could see tears in his eyes. The look on his face and the way he sang the vocals would just stop you in your tracks. I actually felt my heart skip a beat - I thought my MVP had kicked in! Then I realized it was Barry making my MVP kick in! He seriously moved me with tonight's performance. He did such a fantastic job with that song.  Barry connected during I Write the Songs - throughout the entire song. I don't think there was any spot in the song where he wandered away from us. We tend to feel a little sad during this song because the show is coming to a close. But not tonight. Barry wouldn't let us go. When he looks out at the audience like that and it appears he's really looking at people, he has you. Doesn't matter if he can actually see us or not - I don't know whether he can or can't. But he manages to make us feel that he can. When he's able to pull that off, he can totally own an audience and take them any direction he wants to go. And tonight he kept us with him - we couldn't think about the show coming to an end. I guess this is going to be the week of missed shots. Not only do I keep missing air piano, I also keep missing, "Ah, love... ah, romance.. ah sex" - complete with the funny, mock-shock facial expressions. Darn it! But it was fun to watch even if I didn't get a photo. As Barry has been riding the trap door down through the stage floor, he's been making himself sound like a stuck record - "At the...at the...at the..." - until he disappears from sight. Never going to get tired of him coming up through the floor wearing that tux. I'm going to miss that when it goes away. It's always so much fun to see what kind of goofy facial expressions he's going to give us. And then when he just stands there giving us that adorable grin... I'll provide two tux photos tonight - I think the UK folks will like this one.  Barry had a magnificent smile on his face as he closed out the show with It's a Miracle. I love this shot right after he sings the final, "It's you!" from the song. 
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