My first memory of Barry Manilow was as a kid. I knew my mother was a big fan of his, but I also knew that my dad didn’t care for his music. I was eleven or twelve when he gifted her a box set (this was back when a box set was CDs and VHS tapes) with the stipulation that she never play any of it when he was home. Cut to the following November when hunting season began, and Dad would be out of house for most of the week. Mom decided this was her chance. She turned on the sound system, put in a CD, pressed play – and then our dog began to howl and would not stop until she turned Barry off. Turns out, Rhino wasn’t much of a Manilow fan, either. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I have nothing against the Manilow. His music is catchy, though it’s not something I seek out for myself. Even so, he’s popped up in a few places throughout my life – like on Will & Grace where he plays himself. Will, it turns out, is a secret Fanilow and gets in line to be first to buy tickets for an upcoming holiday show:
Throughout the episode, each of the main cast members gets drawn in to help Will keep his place in line, though through some awkward flirting and begrudgingly agreeing to go out on a date with Barry’s assistant, Will gets to meet the singer (and sing with him to the tune of Manilow’s “Bandstand Boogie”:
Earlier this year, I got a call from my sister – Barry Manilow is coming to Green Bay (and for the last time). Should we take Mom?
We come from two parents who both believe live is best when it comes to music. Our dad is a drummer and played in a band near Chicago in the ’60s – The Young Gentlemen. They even made a record, which thanks to the ‘people you might know’ feature on Facebook, I was connected with a couple of his old bandmates, one of who sent me mp3s of the songs. Plus, we did take Dad to see Paul McCartney.
My mom can recall with great detail her first concert – she was eighteen and saw Rod Stewart at her brother’s college. (Her other two big concerts were Santana and Paul McCartney with my dad when we were kids). She’s always wanted to see Barry Manilow, but somehow, the opportunity had never come up. Until now.
Mom got her wish Monday night, and I have to admit, while I would not have sought this concert out for myself, it was a good time. The man is a great storyteller. And funny. I also got to see a live rendition of that “Bandstand Boogie”:
While the Resch Center’s ADA section leaves a lot to be desired* (floor seats, the only other option, were too pricey for us), Mom did say that it was THE experience of her lifetime.
Which said in front of the two people she birthed. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
*There’s no bathroom on this floor, and it’s only accessible by elevator. Which ok – but ADA companions don’t necessarily need them, and sometimes the elevator took fooooreeeever. Like after the show when it kept going to the second floor, filling up, and heading down – leaving the third floor ADA folks waiting twenty-five minutes for it to appear for the first time. (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
Ami Maxine 