Regarding the Barry Manilow concert in Coral Gables

[Editor's note] Three monumental things have happened to me at the BankUnited Center. In 2004, my high school held its graduation ceremony there. In 2008, I heard presidential nominee Barack Obama speak about the future. And this past Saturday night, I saw the incomparable Barry Manilow perform in concert.

To say that Barry remains every bit the superstar I was hoping for is putting it mildly. At 67 years young, he brought all the magic, the smiles, and the bandstand boogie he's famous for and then some. Funny, talented and charmingly self-deprecating, Barry Manilow remains without equal.

Admittedly, the night started off rather poorly. Barry’s opening act was a man named Gerry McCambridge who has allegedly been wowing audiences at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas since 2005. As the creative force and inspiration behind the TV show The Mentalist, McCambridge's schtick is to do clever things with numbers. Honestly, I've never thought that doing anything with numbers was much fun so this was agonizing to sit through.

An hour later: Enter Barry Manilow.

Backed by the 60-piece Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and looking very dapper in a white dress jacket, Barry appeared high atop a lighted staircase. I pretty much melted into my seat at the sight of him. Suddenly, all pre-show resentment dissipated, all was forgiven, and I descended into a euphoric Fagilow daze.

The first OMG moment happened with “Ready to Take a Chance Again.” As a song I've heard countless times before but never appreciated, I was taken aback by how stirringly Barry performed it live. When Barry sang it to me (and to the 12,000 other people there) it took on a whole new life. It was as if I was hearing and relating to it for the first time. But that's Barry's way: to make you feel like he's only singing to you, for you, and ultimately about you.

Audience participation reached a crescendo with “Can’t Smile Without You”. Barry asked us to get up and sing-a-long and no one hesitated. In what can only be described as a sea of middle-aged people swaying from side to side (red glow-sticks in hand), this was an unapologetically cheesy moment at its biggest . And you know what? I ate it all up! I had an aisle seat so I took to the stairs and sang and swayed for my life. It wasn't a proud moment, but I think your pride gets checked at the door of a Manilow concert anyway.

Speaking of fleeting pride, mine ran for the hills when Barry sang "Even Now." As my all time favorite Manilow song, this rendered me a singing, sobbing, simpering mess. But I kept it together enough to get it all on video (see video below). When it was all over, one of the old ladies behind me handed me a handkerchief and said "I think you may need this." Yeah... not my finest hour. We won't discuss what happened to me during "I Write the Songs."

Tears aside, “Weekend in New England” was especially great because Barry sat at the piano and played. Before he started the song, he acknowledged how romantic the song was and said that “if you can’t get lucky to this one, give up." Barry also did 3 songs I had never heard before which made me feel like a bad Fanilow: "New York City Rhythm," "Old Friends," and his version of "Memory.” The last one was especially surprising because I've always loved Barbra Streisand's version. Without missing a beat, Barry explained the “correlation between the size of one’s nose and this song."

Long story short, Barry Manilow sang them all and sang them brilliantly. His songs have a way of touching you at your deepest and most personal. Whether they're about love or heartache or the hottest spot north of Havana, Barry Manilow songs are in a league of their own. His old songs brought back the old times and the old lines sounded new.

Barry Manilow's "Even Now"