Hey, Everyone! 

It’s a little behind, but Danielle has written about her sweetest experience in Detroit.  Enjoy!

~ kya

So Saturday started off as a very busy day. I had a class that morning so couldn’t come home until after that. Which meant my mom had to drive out to school to pick me up, and we didn’t get home until around 4. My sister was already feeding the animals at this point so I ran to the barn to help her so we would finish faster. By the time we were done it was past 4:30, and we had less than an hour to get ready. She jumped in the shower and I rushed to get dressed and do my hair and makeup and then help my sister get dressed and do her hair. We quickly gathered up what we needed and were off for the FOX by 5:45. Thankfully our dad was driving us which made it somewhat less stressful.

Detroit was sooooo crowded that night, it was crazy! My dad was able to pull up to the curb a couple blocks from the theatre, and we hopped out and walked over. There was already so many people there! We headed over to Will Call to pick up our tickets and then made our way inside to find the VIP check in table. Right after picking up our badges we bumped into Emilia and her mom and we all went to find our seats.

Now, since I’d been so busy at school I hadn’t really had time to freak out about the concert or think about how close I was actually going to be. Yes, I knew we had front row seats, but I hadn’t really stopped to think about what that actually meant. We could stand there and touch the stage and our seats at the same time!!!! It was less than 5ft away!!! At this point me, Maria and Emilia (who was in the second row right behind us) really started to freak out! We spent some time talking to everyone else and saying hi to all the other fans. We basically couldn’t sit still we were so excited. About 25min to concert time we finally sat down, and then we noticed Ignazio was in the right wing looking at the sound board!!! We started waving at him, and he smiled waved back and blew us a kiss!!!!!! At this point I just KNEW it was going to be an amazing concert and I was definitely right.

When the orchestra finally came out, we really started freaking ou,t and when the guys came out singing Volare, I was smiling so big I thought my face would break!! They were RIGHT THERE!!!! I could have reached out and touched them if I had wanted to! All three of them smiled at us when they walked by our side of the stage, I think they found our adoring faces staring up at them cute. During one of the first few songs I was making a heart with my hands and Piero smiled and made a heart back at us!!! Gian was having fun winking at me, Maria, and the two girls (my age) next to us. He was so funny and adorable!!

During Piove is when I told Maria to hold up her sign asking Gian to sing to her and he motioned for her to come over! So she went to stand by him and he hugged her and sang to her and I was just taking pictures thinking that was all he would do since there were no stairs up to the stage. But then had her jump up to sit on stage with him!! At this point I started videoing because who knew what would happen now! He then motioned for Piero to come over and the two of them pulled her up on stage with them!!! She was soooooo happy!! The tickets were her 14th birthday present from me and I don’t think she’s ever enjoyed a present more. They sang to her, hugged her, and kissed her and had her kiss them, it was sooooo adorable! They were all so sweet to her, but especially Gian. He is her favorite and I don’t think she’ll ever forget him pulling her to his side and kissing her and just being an all-around sweetheart. I’ve never seen her smile so big! After the song they asked her name and when she said Maria, Ignazio started singing Maria to her. Then they were laughing about how she was taller than them (she’s actually an inch shorter than Piero, for now lol) and Piero pointed out she didn’t even have heels on. Then everyone noticed she was missing a shoe! Gian actually picked up her foot to show everyone and was then joking that she was taller than him with no shoes! It had fallen off when she jumped up on stage and fell down under the orchestra pit! We had to have security go get it after the concert.

DanielleDetroit3 North American Live Tour 2/27/16 Concert

DanielleDetroit4 North American Live Tour 2/26/16 Concert

DanielleDetroit5 North American Live Tour 2/26/16 Concert

The next several songs are all kind of a blur, they were just so wonderful and funny!!! I was in tears from laughing so hard at Ignazio’s antics! And they continued to smile, wink, and make faces at us which made it all the more fun.

And then came O’ Sole Mio. A bit into the song I decided to go for it and hold up my sign asking Ignazio to sing. I held it just under my chin and pouted so sadly when he looked at me. He smiled and motioned like “why not?” and walked over as he was getting ready to sing his main part. I pretty much threw my phone at my sister and went up to the stage. He kneeled down and put his hand out for me to hold while smiling like the angle he is. It was the longest twenty seconds of my life! I started into his eyes the whole time!! When he sang “Come hold me tight, kiss me my darling” he gave me the sweetest hug ever and squeezed my neck and rubbed my shoulder as he let go. Then he pointed to his cheek and I kissed him!! And I accidentally left lipstick on his cheek that was there the rest of the concert! Then he spun me around and gave an adorable little bow before letting go of my hand and walking back to the main stage. It was so magical and wonderful, he made my night!!

DanielleDetroit7 North American Live Tour 2/26/16 Concert

DanielleDetroit North American Live Tour 2/26/16 Concert

DanielleDetroit2 North American Live Tour 2/26/16 Concert

The only other thing that really happened was during one of the encore songs (can’t remember which) when Ignazio sat down on the first step up on the stage and started eating a piece of bread! Gianluca came over and scolded him lol. It was right in front of us so all of us in the front couple rows were laughing, especially when Gian pretended to offer us some! Then he ate some and put his finger to his lips to tell us not to tell lol.

After the concert we had to wait almost an hour for the meet and greet, and it was super rushed again but at least the security was nicer and more polite than last time. When it was mine and Maria’s turn, Gian and Piero yelled “Maria!!! Bambina!” and both tackled her with a hug lol. And Ignazio got a super happy look on his face and yelled “Bella!!!” and opened his arms wide and gave me a HUGE hug!!! I thanked him for singing to me and he said it was his pleasure, he was glad to see us enjoying the whole concert. Then I gave them the regional flags with their names I had drawn for the contest last year and they loved them. And Maria gave them little mini rosaries she had made.

After it was our turn went out into the lobby where we got to say hi to Mr. Barone, Mrs. Ginoble, Barbara, and Mrs. Boschetto. We also talked to Mrs. Boschetto for a moment with the help of Barbara and then took a picture with her. I told her that her son was amazing and thanked her for raising him right. She was so nice!! We waited around a little after to see if we’d be able to say hi to them again when they were leaving, but they left out the back. Then our dad met us outside the FOX and picked us up. I don’t think we stopped talking the entire way home! And it was hours before we could actually fall asleep. It was the most magical night of our lives! I never even dreamed that we’d get to interact with them as much as we did!! They were so sweet and kind and such gentlemen! And how kind they were to my little sister just made me like them even more, they treated her like a little princess. We can’t wait to see them again next time they come!!