I Am Your Child BMFC-Manilow Canada

We waited a while,but here I am off to Toronto, not only is it my favourite city, but Barry will be there as well! How could things get any better than that!

An added bonus for me is my sister is meeting me there, she lives in Vancouver, she is not a fanilow (sorry once again Barry but I like being a fanilow).

We stayed at Pauline's she is a member of I Am Your Child fanclub, it's so great getting to know people all over the world, we always have a place to crash!!!

Ok we're in Toronto and excited, my sister and I had a blast while we conquered the transit system we literally in one day experienced Trains, Planes, Automobiles, Trams, Subway and buses!! What a trip that was,we came to the conclusion that Toronto has the best transit system anywhere! Not to mention how easy the city is to navigate.
We get to Pauline's and joining us there is Linda M, from Ottawa and Michele T. from Minneapolis. The party began with DVD's of Barry of course and Chinese Food with wine. The next day Saturday, June 7 the day we have been planning for what seemed ages!! A white limosine pulls up to take us to the Air Canada Centre and more importantly BARRY. Brian Culbertson was awesome a very class act himself. Then we waited glow sticks in hand. Then Finally! Barry! It's a Miracle! We jumped up after every song and gave him one standing ovation after the other, he sang all the songs we all love so much, full version of Could It Be Magic and Can't Smile Without You, Every song became a love song for me, for you, for Barry. The entire Air Canada Centre piled as much love on Barry as we possibly could. Barry came and gave us everything he had while we gave him everything we could! I never wanted it to end, I just wanted to sit there and bask in all the wonderful feelings I was experiencing! We didn't want it to end and We knew he didn't want it to either, as people were shouting "We love you Barry" and Barry saying "I love you too". There was music, love, dancing in the aisles, waving of glow sticks, the entire place super charged.......then Old Friends and Forever and a Day, his song for us....... as Barry goes to walk off and turns back, then off, we all left knowing we had just experienced something extra special, beyond words.....knowing this will never be forgotten. THANKYOU BARRY FOR MAKING IT SO SPECIAL FOR US!

Of course now the After Party we all left following one another,not having met one another yet, except through the barrynet and the Canadian fanclub, we get to Jack Astor's, which we charged up with all our energy very quickly, they played Barry songs all night, waitresses dancing to Copa with paper spagetti around their necks that we gave them! We got to meet one another face to face, Almost 50 of us getting to see the people we talk to on the net, excited and joyous to meet for the first time, hugs all around, I met my friend Linda L, and her daughter Jess, who ended up sitting with me at the concert, very special people, and then Linda's Mom Cindy, welcome Cindy to our fanclub! Then HI Jenny, from New York, and Margo from Buffalo and Ida, then Nancy D. Hey New Jersey! I can't leave you out Anne or Mary M. and on it went, what a gift we had left the concert, but with the friends we meet as a result of all loving Barry we get to meet such special people, who could ask for more?? Barry just keeps on giving and giving!

The limo is here time to leave, the night is at an end, but our lives richer than ever.
My sister who by the way jumped up on her feet waving her own glow stick just as much as the rest of us LOL! My sister and I were staying in Toronto for a few days, went to Niagara Falls, then back to Planes, Trains, Automobiles, trams, subways, buses.

What a time we had!! A whirlwind trip we will never forget!! Did I say thankyou Barry? Has anyone told you lately how special you are?? As you have said " What a life!" Thanks to you we can say the same! "What a Life!"
Now we have the Barry Blues, but perhaps it's just time to plan the next trip.........back to work, need more Barry money! LOL

Well, Sorry to say my MAGNIFICENT MANILOW MARATHON(48 hours all centered on Barry) is over – but what a WONDERFUL, MEMORABLE TIME it was (at least most of it!). My flight was to leave at 1:01 pm Friday: so I got there in plenty of time, only to find out (1) I was at almost the farthest gate from the main concourse and (2) the incoming plane from Madison was running at least a half hour late. By 1:30 (when I should have been happily winging my way to Toronto and Barry et al), they announced the plane was “in the area” but because of the high winds it was in a long line of planes waiting to land. Once it finally did get to our gate a little after 2 pm – they announced the plane had lost all radar – so they were looking for another gate/plane for us to leave on!! FINALLY, at about 3 pm (when I should have been looking at the Toronto airport airfield!) we took off from Minneapolis!! (What we won’t go through to get to OUR BARRY!!)

Even though we arrived in Toronto over two hours late, Rob Culbert (Pauline’s husband) was there to greet me and drive me to their house (about 45 minutes outside Toronto): where we meet up with Allayne P, her sister Donna and Linda M. After some excited “happy to FINALLY meet you” conversation and bonding and an excellent dinner of Chinese food – we settled in for a few hours of “pre-manilow concert” prep, i.e. watching some of Barry’s videos. (NOTE: Knew it was definitely a Manilow weekend when one of the main streets nearest Pauline’s house was “HARMONY”!!)

Saturday Pauline graciously drove us around for some “last minute shopping”, then it was back to her house for a little rest and preparing for our BIG NIGHT with Barry!! Pauline had arranged for a limo so about 6 our long white limo pulled up, we all piled in (Pauline, Rob, Allayne, Donna, Linda and I) for a leisurely drive into Toronto – with Barry playing on the CD!!

The arena was packed with Barry’s fans, all waving their mandatory glow sticks! Pauline and her husband Rob had managed to snag front row seats (just to the right of center stage), while Allayne, Linda and Donna were on the side aisle in row 8. I LUCKED out once again: ended up with almost the same seat as in St Paul in January: just one seat off of center stage, in row 4 (with a PERFECT view of Barry – except when the women in front of me – who did not arrive until Just before Barry came on – totally missing the wonderful Brian C—kept throwing up her arms every time I seem to have just the perfect shot of Barry!!)

Brian Culbertson opened for Barry again – and, like the concert in January, really got the “joint jumpin” with his keyboard and trombone playing!! Finally, about 9 pm: the time we had ALL been anticipating FINALLY arrived: the music started, the “fog” rolled in; and BARRY appeared with “It’s a Miracle” – with EVERYONE on their feet singing and dancing with him!! Unfortunately, my “senior” brain cannot remember the exact order of the songs he sang, but he covered most of the audience favorites including: Even Now, Daybreak, Can’t smile without you, Bandstand Boogie, This one’s for you, Weekend in New England and even making “lovely Laura” from the audience ecstatic by bringing her up on stage to dance with him during “Ready to take a chance”. The highlight for many of us in the front rows was when he came out on the “lift stage” in his “60’s” mode: complete with Nehru jacket, lava lamp, 60’s album and that “funny cigarette” that, after taking a short puff he announced “Someone is getting a raise!”. With “Cobacabana” we know the evening was coming to an end, but not before he managed to “break away” from his back-up singers who were pulling him off stage to come back and do “Old Friends” and “Forever and a day”: standing on the lift stage that came up right in front of the first row! As it seems in most concerts, he brought some “personal” touch to it: talking about the last time he was in Toronto (back in 1991!) and played at an outdoor area with decorations that along the lines of “fiddler on the roof” looked like “titties on the roof” – and how a bug flew up his noise during the singing of a particularly slow ballad and he had to wait till after singing to try and get it out (although, in his typical self-depracating humor, he commented with his nose he was lucky it wasn’t a bird! While talking about Can’t smile without you, someone in the audience yelled out: Jan 1984 (?) I sang it with you!! He profoundly thanked them for coming back this time!!)

All too soon (actually almost 2 hours) after bursting onto the stage in a cloud of smoke, he disappeared the same way –and our “magical evening” was over (at least part 1). After the concert about 50 of the “I am your child” fan club members met at Jack Astors, about 10-15 minutes from the arena – where the partying, celebration and “Fanilow” bonding continued. During the next approximately 90 minutes, while the fan club members were enjoying some wonderful “how nice to finally meet you” conversations and partying, the restaurant was playing ALL BARRY TUNES (to our great delight, although I am sure some of the other bar/restaurant customers were not as excited!)

I had a great time meeting several “new-found friends” who to this point were only names on the web-site: Graydon “hosted” two contests: the one for traveling the furthest (from Alaska) and those with the best accents (basically a tie between our “Joisey” friends and Brooklyn fans!

All too soon it was 1 am: and our limo returned for the trip back to Pauline’s. Needless to say we were sorry to have the weekend coming to an end – but I know I personally slept really well – with lots of Barry in my dreams!

Sunday morning Rob drove me back to the Toronto airport where, after 25 minutes in line for customs, I got to my gate – and my flight actually left on time – and got back to Minneapolis about 15 minutes ahead of schedule. (I MUST say: the Toronto airport is one of the best I have been through in a long time: there seems to be someone there every step of your way through from the beginning: going through E-ticket check-in the clerk did all the “checking in” for me and pointed me toward the entry to customs; the agent at the door to the customs area greeted everyone with a smile and pointed as to the customs line (which was long – but really only took 25 minutes to get through); and the route to the door to the buses (which we had to take from the main terminal to the “satellite terminals” was VERY CLEARLY marked. All in all, it was one of the most pleasant, easy “treks” through an airport that I have experienced: WAY TO GO CANADA!!)

OMG: what an indescribable weekend I had! Was great meeting up with Allayne again; and extra-special to finally meet on-line “friends” Linda and Pauline (as well as Allayne’s sister Donna and Pauline’s husband Rob). This trip just reminded me once again why we all LOVE BARRY so much: aside from the blue eyes (!!), his ever-giving spirit and appreciation of his fans: it is how he has managed to bring together so many people from all over the world as new-found friends, who, even having never meet, just “click” when coming together and have such a great time!

Thursday night, before getting packed to head out, I made sure it had plenty of fresh batteries, two never-used computer chips and instructions from my son on EXACTLY how to work the digital camera: Managed to take over 125 pics of the concert and after-party….(my son is working tonight, but hopefully tomorrow night he can show his basically “tech-inept” mother how to download the pics onto the IAYC web-site).

Meanwhile, if you have never experience a Manilow concert, you MUST…MUST..MUST plan one in the near future: He is just the best at given his fans the performance they want—and the chance to meet all those other fans is an opportunity NOT TO BE MISSED!! Meanwhile, I am going to put on some Manilow and “click” through the pics on my camera and try to relive just a PART of the excitement of Saturday night in Toronto!!

THANKS to my buddy Allayne: for all her work and effort in arranging the weekend and SPECIAL THANKS to new-found friends Pauline, Rob, Donna and Linda - it was truly a FANTASTIC 48 hours getting to know you and share our love of Barry (Don't worry Allayne, we will continue to work on Donna - and "bring her over" from the "country-side"!). Pauline and Rob: AN EXTRA SPECIAL THANKS for all you did this weekend: giving room and board to several "strangers", now friends, and for all the transportation to/from airports, bus stations and Shopping on Saturday. The Limo was an excellent, fun idea - THANKS!!

Barry in Toronto........Review by Scott from the Barrynet.

Barry added an encore Old Friends and Forever and a Day. He put back in the slower strip down version of Somewhere Down The Road. ( Please notice I refuse to abbreviate song titles ) He did not perform any songs from the 50's and 70's but did say he was working on the 80's. He included his 60's bit with the funny cigarette and the amazing " Cant Take My Eyes Off You. His backups did the Supreme song Baby Baby which is not on the 60's CD. He added the full Can't Smile Without You from the last time I saw him. I haven't heard him perform this live without the " pick me girl singing along side him in 25 years. I can't tell you how much I like this full version performed live.

Barry had huge success in the Buffalo/ Toronto area in the 70's 80's and early 90's. This is my 15th Barry concert since 1982. This crowd was super enthusiastic. The crowd gave him standing ovation after standing ovation. Barry was very pleased and ate it up. We were sitting in the 6th row infront of the piano. My advice to Barry fans would be if money is not an issue to buy the closest seats you can get. Barry was singing directly infront of us with no binoculars needed. Barry is a huge fan of the Toronto area and there are pictures of him walking around town on some other posts. Barry played at the AirCanada Centre which holds over 20,000 for the Maple Leafs and the Raptors. I estimated this crowd between 12000- 14,000. So lets say 13,000 strong.

Barry was in top form. After 15 shows I can tell the difference when he is wiped out from tours past or fresh after a break in Vegas. He was fresh and in a super good mood. We could see the expression on his face with every song because we were so close. It was like he was taping a TV Special where he wanted every song to be perfect. This is the best I have seen him in years and the fact he added in every single early hit from the 70's and early 80's made this so much more enjoyable.

Barry’s concert in Toronto Saturday night was fantastic!! Brian Culbertson was very good tonight. Him and his band had the crowd on their feet several times and the audience was pumped for Manilow by the time Brian ended his set. Barry owned the stage from the moment he set foot on it. He was wearing a black suit with sequined trim and redish/pink lining and that gorgeous sequined tie. The show was pretty much the norm that he has been doing, with him inserting “Somewhere Down The Road” again tonight like he did in Montreal. He received many standing ovations tonight and seemed moved by the crowd’s approval. He reminisced about playing at the Kingswood Amphitheatre and asked if it was still there. He added some cute antedotes about the shape of the roofing as well. The dance girl was wonderful and Barry enjoyed her company. A highlight for me was the full version of CIBM. I just love the visual effects that flow so well with the emotion that Barry puts into the song. All too soon the beginning notes of IWTS was heard, which means the end is near. After Copa and the reprise of It’s A Miracle, Barry came back and sang “Old Friends” and ‘Forever And A Day” which he said he had written for us, his fans and friends. As much as I didn’t want it to end, I have stored it along with great memories and new friends I made that night.

Here is a song list (somewhat in order, I believe)…

It’s A Miracle/Daybreak/Somewhere In The Night/This One’s For You
Old Songs
Ready To Take A Chance Again
Weekend In New England
Even Now
NYC Rhythm
Somewhere Down The Road
CSWY
Brooklyn Blues
CIBM
Sixties Segment….CTMEOOY/Baby Love/ What The World Needs Now
Mandy
IWTS
Copa
Miracle (reprise)
Old Friends / Forever And A Day