On Saturday night, as the Phils wrapped up their 9-1 defeat of the Marlins, continuing to string us championship-deprived fans along, thousands filed into the Wachovia Center for Barry Manilow’s Music and Passion, a touring version of his permanent show by the same name at the Las Vegas Hilton.

Though the generally calm demeanor of the mostly female, mostly older attendees suggested otherwise, excitement was high. And none were more excited than those particularly dedicated Fanilows that congregated pre-show in the back room of Benny the Bum’s, the restaurant in the Packer Avenue Holiday Inn, which you stay at if and only if you are going to a concert or game. The party was thrown by Toms River-based fan club Barry’s Retro Fans Unlimited and drew about 60 devotees, some of whom sat at a craft table assembling smiley-face flags out of glow ropes while the rest sipped diet sodas and iced tea and lovingly whispered of the Man Who Wrote The Songs, relating their first time Manilow experiences to each other and me. I expected to walk out of the party feeling sad for these people who spend so much time, energy, and money on an artist so frequently overheard on elevators and in low-end department stores, but once I realized how happy he makes them, I felt kind of jealous that no music makes me this happy.

Here are some memories from the evening:

Elaine and John Mead, Warrington, PA: John was the only guy in the room, but didn’t seem like he was there against his own free will, plus his jacket perfectly matches the neon in the back. Though they may look like they were swooning to Mandy in the ’70s, they are actually recent converts who have been to eight shows in the last few years, including in Las Vegas, where they spent $1,000 each for the Platinum Experience, which included a brief chat with their idol. “I explained to him that we are actually related by our grandmothers,” said Elaine. “He just smiled and shook his head.”

Alicia Bassett, Elaine and John’s daughter: Alicia may be, as she said, a Virgin Fanilow, but it didn’t take her long to take a gulp of the Kool-Aid. Here she is modeling a pair of glow-rope antennae as she proudly displays her smiley-face flag.

 

 

 

One of the fan club’s blaring and much coveted tees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kelleanne Miles, Mayfair: This 32-year-old clinical-research coordinator for Philadelphia Eye Associates has been a Fanilow since she was six and saw Barry perform on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Eve show at her grandparents’ house. “I drug my husband to two shows, but he won’t go anymore,” she says, adding that he was out at a Grateful Dead cover band concert on this particular night. Through the fan club, she scored a fifth-row seat for $410, which included parking, pictures, and, um, a pillow.

Cindy Blake and Barbara Dayton, her mom, Philadelphia: I always thought that Burger King didn’t pay very well, but Barbara, who has worked at the BK at Castor and Aramingo for 29 years, seems to be doing all right. She’s seen Barry in Vegas on three different trips since 2004, and for this concert, she brought her semi-reluctant daughter, whose last concert was Rick Springfield in 2006.

Karen Fossile of Huntingdon Valley and Jennifer Fernandes of Warrington: These lovely ladies work together in a cardiac ultrasound office and have been to five Barry shows together. Jennifer said that her “Future Fanilow” will have the middle name “Barry.” She later told me she was joking. I think she wasn’t.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 11th, 2007 at 1:58 pm and is filed under Fiorillo Report. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Posted by Victor Fiorillo on 9/11/07 in Fiorillo Report