Words from the "non fans"

It's easy for those of us that are mesmerized by the Manilow magic to "get it" about Barry and his music. But when those non fans see what we see...it gives us hope and underscores what we have been saying about him all along--his music and his lyrics move us "every single day".

We fans joke about being surrounded by "civilians" in the shows, but in reality, many of us were civilians at one time or another--newly discovering what the die-hard fans knew all along. What is that exactly? That Barry's music makes us happy and gives us joy in a world that's not so joyful at times. That his music makes us smile even when we don't feel like smiling. And that his resilient spirit motivates all of us to be the best we can be in this life and in our own corner of this world.

Just for fun, I did a blog search looking for non fan comments on his shows...here are just a few of many.

http://missmatchblog.blogspot.com
I went to see Barry Manilow on Thursday at Madison Square Garden. I know you might think that I am a dork but I love the guy's music. Remember... he "writes the songs that make the young girls cry"... And let me tell you... his lyrics, well I cried several times during the concert. So.. Some advice... Find the person with whom you can go to your version of a Barry Manilow concert, someone who is going to be willing to share those dorky things that you like to do with you, someone who is willing to learn to like what you like without giving you a hard time about it. And you need to want to do the same for them. And if Barry is actually your secret passion... don't be embarrassed. And keep in mind that a great way of getting your guy to like him is to let him know how great Barry's music is for "setting the mood". You might be surprised about how quickly he will join you at the next concert!

http://www.happiness-project.com
And when the evening began, I was very distracted and troubled. I couldn’t stop thinkingabout something that was bothering me. But eventually the music, the show, the novelty, and most of all, the company of other people, worked to boost my mood. As I began to cheer up, my self absorption lifted (a good example of why there’s a duty to be happy). The words in the songs led me to a meditation on happiness, and I began to ask myself:

Like Mandy, do I give without taking?
Is there tenderness any more in my fingertips?
Yes, I have the magic at
last—am I living up to it?
And so Barry Manilow, with his greatest hits and his favorite songs from the 40’s, 50s, 60’s, and 70’s, worked on me as a call to greater love.

http://www.dieiscast.com
In any event, last night my wife and I were invited to a performance of Barry Manilow’s “Music and Passion” show at the Las Vegas Hilton. To be completely candid, it’s probably not my first choice for a night’s entertainment. I missed out on the original Barry-mania of the 1970s, so a lot of the appeal is lost on me. … the roof really came off the place with the closing numbers. I really liked the way they did “Mandy.” It started with concert footage of 1975 Barry doing the song on TV, and for the second verse segued into 2006 Barry doing it live. I’m normally not a fan of seeing videos at concerts, but this was really neat. The glow sticks really came out for that one. And by the time the band hit “Copacabana,” the place exploded. Just about everyone was dancing in the aisles, and it was obvious that it was truly “a good time had by all.”

The next time you are in Vegas, listen to the comments from the non fans as you are leaving the theatre. Well..perhaps I should say NEW FANS...because that's what happens at Music and Passion. New fans walk out of that theatre every single night!

Here's to the SMSSG and his music...long may he reign!

Texas Fanilow