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Name: BarryNet Articles & Reviews Date/Time: 9/8/2019 10:16 AM Subject: Barry Manilow Delivers At The Hollywood Bowl
Forbes, 07 September 2019 Barry Manilow is an institution, he’s an icon, and he remains one of the greatest entertainers of all time. His legacy as an artist has spanned popular music for a staggering five decades. In an industry where these days you are lucky to remain popular after your first album, he’s one of the industry’s gold standards. I’m not sure it’s ever been cool to be a Fanilow, the term for a Barry Manilow fan, but there’s not a single one who cares. A Manilow show is like a little black dress or jeans and a white t-shirt, it is classic and never goes out of fashion. I’ve seen Barry Manilow perform live several times over the years. I’ve seen him in numerous cities, in venues of varying sizes, and every single time, he has put on one heck of a show. The delivery of his quips is as sharp as ever, and the narrative web he weaves feels like it is the first time he’s told these stories. It feels like you’re honored to be hearing his little secret. Sure, there are elements of cheese and camp to the proceedings, however, rather than shy away from that, Manilow embraces it. The showmanship is precisely why every single person is there. There’s something about a Manilow show that is unlike most other shows. There are few places where you can experience that better than at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California. The first night of a two night run at the venue, accompanied by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, had an intimacy, that I’d not experienced before at one of his shows. It’s not about light shows or pyrotechnics; it’s about the man and his music. Ranked as the number one Adult Contemporary Artist of all-time, according to Billboard magazine, the Grammy, Emmy and Tony award-winning singer-songwriter, arranger, producer, and musician has a body of work many would die for. Manilow’s had an astonishing 50 Top 40 singles, including 12 number ones and 27 Top 10 hits, and five of his albums were on the best-seller charts simultaneously. Manilow rattled through a selection of them on stage, and they just kept coming. A relentless, 90 minute stream of gems that included Mandy, I Write the Songs, Looks Like We Made It, Could It Be Magic, This One’s For You, Weekend in New England, Copacabana and even the likes of Read ’Em and Weep swept the crowd along, swaying, waving glow sticks, and standing up and dancing when appropriate. In between each song, as Manilow told a story or joked about being a sex god, the audience lapped up the spiel, as gentle orchestration often underpinned his banter. Before you knew it, he was off again, pulling out another piece of gold and serving it up to the crowd on a silver platter. Cries of ‘We love you, Barry,’ from men and women of all ages, accompanied the feeling of euphoria and comradery Manilow had created, conducting it the audience like a pro. He’s a 76-year-old man, something he referenced in the show, who appears to have the same passion for what he does and how he does it as he always has. On top of that, he still sounds amazing. The execution was flawless but never came off as clinical or by the numbers. It’s genuinely hard to find fault with a Manilow show because it is so polished. I think as long as venues will continue to book him, he’ll keep doing it, and thankfully I don’t see those bookings drying up any time soon. There’s something oddly intoxicating about a Barry Manilow show; it’s a bit like watching theatre. I spoke to several people who weren’t necessarily fans but had come along either out of curiosity or were brought by someone who had seen him perform before. I have come across these people at almost every Manilow show I have been to. By the end of the performance, they were pretty much sold on Brand Barry. While not every one of them might call themselves a fan, they seemed to have newfound respect or appreciation for what he does and how he does it. It’s not the first time he’s played the Bowl, and I’m pretty sure this two night run won’t be the last. 
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