Barry gave us a fantastic show tonight.
Has the lighting changed? It seemed so much brighter at times. My photos would seem to indicate a change, too - or maybe it was just where I was sitting.
Monica has a new hair style (at least since the last time I was here). I like it.
Just before Weekend in New England, Barry commented to his sound folks that he needed a little reverb. So they did - immediately. He said, "Don't give it to me now, wait until I start singing!" LOL
I noticed some musical differences tonight - throughout the night, actually. Just a little note or chord here and there - or even a change in tempo. It hasn't been THAT long since I've been here (although it seemed like forever) - I don't think it was just me. During one of the songs (I think it was CSWY - not positive about that) Barry told Ron W to "lower it to F." That was kind of interesting to watch and hear them change keys in the middle of a song!
Another difference I noticed - not sure if it's a change or it just happened - but during the opening medley, there was a big difference in the music as they transitioned between Somewhere in the Night and This One's For You. There was so much of a difference, for a moment I thought he had changed the medley, and I wasn't able to recognize the music.
WINE was beautiful. This was one of the songs where I noticed some differences. Tonight was all about "gentle emotion" as opposed to "powerful passion". I like this. I like the soft Barry.
Barry was being kind of silly during the decades medley tonight. He made several funny faces at Melanie during Chattanooga Choo Choo. And then he made one at Keely during Islands in the Stream that almost made her laugh. And then right after his little tap dance, he uttered... Uh, never mind... LOL
Islands in the Stream was great again. It's got such a good beat - and it feels good. I really like when Kye comes out and does his part - but for the last several shows I haven't been able to see it because my view was blocked. Tonight I'll be sitting right in front of him, so I'm hoping to get some good photos.
We got New York City Rhythm. (Ron W wins.) And then Can't Smile Without You. The tone of the song changed from the last several shows I've seen. For a while there, it seemed somewhat "angsty". Tonight it had a much lighter tone.
I loved Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again/Even Now tonight. This was more of the soft Barry - but it really worked well during TTGTFA. Kind of gave me shivers. This goes back to my comment about there being differences tonight - this was very different, a totally different type of emotion coming through. You know what it is? It just hit me... The tone of the night was truth and honesty - that was the feeling that was coming forth (to me, anyway). This wasn't a night about "performing" - it was about feeling and conveying those feelings.
I really like the power ballads - I like when Barry performs the songs with such passion that the notes he belts out can almost knock you back a few rows. But I like this, too. I honestly "felt" more tonight than I have in a while.
Looks Like We Made It was excellent. It was a rock-solid performance - nice job of selling the song, making us believe the lyrics. Barry got a little naughty at the end - raised the temperature in the theater just a degree or two. And then he finished the song by going back to selling the lyrics, putting a little extra feeling in the final chorus.
The band started playing I Made It Through the Rain - and Barry turned around and said, "Are we doing that one?" LOL Guess so! He did a great job on it. He was extra cute during the Grandpa Joe bit.
Somewhere Down the Road was breathtaking. I can't believe that at some shows the audience doesn't seem to appreciate this song - it's always one of the best songs of the show. Very emotional and moving. This one might be my favorite of the night - Barry certainly did an excellent job of selling the song. Yeah, he managed to pull a tear or two out of me - but not so much as to bring the mood down too far. Just enough to make me feel it... Perfect!
And then came...
Barry managed to top himself with Ships again - just a fantastic performance of the song. One of the things I loved about it - as he moved from the first verse into the second, from the son into the father, he very slowly turned around - and as he turned, you could watch him transform into the father. I just loved that. More shivers...
The lighting and staging of that song still moves me - and it still has the effect of Barry standing alone out in the universe. But tonight I noticed some lighting I've never noticed before - I don't even know if it was a deliberate effect on their part or just one of those things that happened. But it was so cool! This has nothing to do with Barry singing or dancing - but still, it was part of my experience during the show - and a powerful experience, so... [and it's my review, so I can ramble if I want to]
Anyway, there was a spotlight at the back of the stage, up high, kind of in the corner. All of the "stars" were shining at that point. The spotlight was putting out a blue glow. And then I realized it had created the effect of a blue tunnel - it was kind of smoky and swirling. And it seemed to extend into infinity (it really did!). For the sci-fi buffs, it looked like a motion picture representation of a wormhole - can't think of any other way to describe it. It was beautiful - with the bright spotlight shining at the center of the tunnel, seeming to be far, far away, but still brightly illuminating Barry. I honestly kept expecting Archangel Michael to come flying out at any moment.
I stumbled across this quote from "Angels of Love and Light" by Linn Fisher after I wrote this review - it described what I saw so well, I had to include it in the review if for no other reason than to remind myself in years to come.
"Archangel Michael is the most powerful, celebrated and well-known angel in history, scripture, art and literature. He and his complement, Faith, stand for protection, deliverance and faith. Working from the first ray of blue, they magnify God's power and strength...The blue ray...is one of three flames that reside within the secret chamber of the heart as part of the Three-fold Flame, which is central to God's divine spark and workings within us...The blue ray...[creates] dazzling sunbeams of energetic light from the "great central sun," known to be the center of the universe, the source of all love, all healing and all growth. The angels of the first ray rule the throat chakra."
See, we all know Barry is special, don't we? He's being taken care of.
Anyway, back to the review... Mandy/Could It Be Magic followed the same tone as the rest of the show - the emphasis seemed to be on "feeling" rather than knocking us out with a power performance. And Barry is still wearing my favorite white jacket!
New Copa jacket! Close to the same style, and still partly yellow - so those who loved that old jacket (as I did) don't have to panic. The yellow in this one is just a tad less bright than the old jacket. And this one has patches of orange alternating with the yellow, and a nice starburst design, as well. I like it as much as I did the other jacket. When Barry came out on the top of the stairs in the new jacket, he stood there for a moment during muscle man poses for us.
When the streamers came down tonight as the show closed, Barry managed to get one of the silver ones wrapped around his neck. He tugged at it a little and grinned, but it stayed put as he walked off the stage.
As Barry exited through the smoke, he kind of threw his head back and had this cute, almost skipping, little gait. It might not have been a wild audience, but he must have liked us a little bit... We certainly liked him!
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