mendelstyx Posted July 23, 2005 Report Share Posted July 23, 2005 Last night, I spent a glorious night on the waterfront of Lake Michigan. There beneath the most beautiful moon, we the fans were treated to a wonderful show, by Mr. DeYoung, his band, Amick Byram, and the orchestra conducted by Arnie Roth. The crowd was filled with a very young, very enthusiastic group of people. We had the joy of watching 20 year old men singing their hearts out to Lady and various other songs. And while no photography was allowed, let me just say that we saw masses of cell phones put to use throuhgout the night, most notably during Mr. Roboto. The reaction to that song was amazing. It definitely rocked the house. There were several standing ovations last night, all well deserved. Show Me The Way (marred by problematic microphones), Suite Madame Blue, and With Every Heartbeat. A twist on WEH...Dennis sang Frollo's part. What a treat! Tommy Dziallo had several guitar solos last night, with a very long, tremendously done solo at the end of Desert Moon. Scorching! We got the pleasure of doing a sing along to Best of Times, were enthralled with Pieces of Eight and Castle Walls. As I looked out over the crowd, I was again struck by how well these songs, all of them, were known and loved by people. It truly must be gratifying to know that the words you wrote so long ago still resonate so much for people. SPOILER: The new back up singer replacing Dawn Marie is a lovely lady named Kate Milan. She has a nice voice and some large shoes to fill. While I am sure there were nerves, she was a trooper and I wish her continued success in her new role. While the sound was unfortunately muddy and the microphones were uncooperative at times, those factors took nothing away from watching the man in his element. After having the good fortune to see him perform so many times, I am still just as excited at the prospect of seeing him again. I spent the eveing side by side with Terri absorbing and appreciating all that surrounded us. We sang, clapped, rocked and bopped and watched Dennis do what he does so well. At the end, a beautiful fireworks show capped the evening. There are few ways to have a better evening. Thank you as always. You and your band do your jobs very very well. Can't wait until the show... Viva Festa! Liz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuiteMadameBlue Posted July 24, 2005 Report Share Posted July 24, 2005 Another GREAT show!! Kathy and I were close by each other for the concert Where we were sitting the sound was much better. The weather was perfect for a summer night on the lakefront. Here's the setlist from Festa: Overture Grand Illusion Lady Desert Moon Lorelei (with Eine Kleine Nachtmusic Intro) Pieces of Eight Show Me The Way Castle Walls Mr. Roboto Don't Let It End (with Claire de Lune Intro) Light Up Suite Madame Blue Esmerelda With Every Heartbeat Rockin' The Paradise Babe Best of Times Come Sail Away Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladybugking Posted July 24, 2005 Report Share Posted July 24, 2005 (edited) Such a wonderful time I had! All my good friends, with the exception of a few , were there to share the fun. What GREAT people I have met, thanks to DDYTalk! Anyway...if you put in an order with the Weather Person for this day and evening, this is what would have been delivered. Perfect! We had some nice interaction with the band and every one of them are just so nice and friendly folks. Dennis' new singer, Kate, was quite friendly, but you could tell she was anxious about the performance. It was a big deal! Her first time to do this. I thought she was good, but you could see where she could improve and I have no doubt she will. Liz has really covered it all in her great review. We had some nice conversations with members of the band, Dennis' manager, Tim, and a little chatting with that guy who's onstage singing lead vocals, Dennis Somebody...!! :biggrin: I had a long talk with Amick Byram, Mr. Beautiful Voice, and found out he is from Texas! LOL! His parents live not that far from where I live. As we talked, his accent got more Texan by the minute (for which he was teased mightily by everyone). I dunno. He sounded perfectly fine to me and had NO accent whatever! He, of course, nailed Esmerelda beautifully that night. Dennis wandered around the Festa grounds with Matthew -- Dad and son time together. A cute pair they made walking off to check the food situation out. Cool memories for me included: Hearing Dennis do sound check and noodle around with jazz riffs and ELP on the keyboard. And sing Queen of Spades all the way through. Seeing Arnie Roth, in his shorts and flip flops, work with the Milwuakee Symphony and getting just the right nuances out of their performances of each song. (BTW, they are a really, really great symphony orchestra. Milwaukee should be proud! ) Hearing Dennis do some things vocally at this show I had never heard him do. His voice was, as usual, perfection. Best of all, sharing it with my friends. How great is THAT??? =D> Edited July 24, 2005 by ladybugking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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