As promised, I am posting more reviews of the concerts. They are shorter than Leena’s and so I thought I’d put them together in one post.
The first review was sent to us by email, the others that follow, are comments to the concerts and perhaps not all of you have read them.
Everything that has been written reflects exactly our feelings towards Il Volo, therefore reading these beautiful words makes us relive special moments of lived concerts.
Happy reading, I await your comments : Daniela 🤗
Let’s start with the Clearwater concert review sent to us by Judi Edwards.
Ciao Daniela & Pat,
Another wonderful concert for our guys, and the full-house audience with some Latinos and Italians in attendance was extremely enthusiastic and appreciative—with partial to full standing ovations on most of the songs. My sister and I had fantastic seats – 3rd row, but with no one in front of us—a few steps and we could have grabbed a foot or two! Slightly different repertoire, with Here’s To You and Nella Fantasia replaced by El Reloj, Historia de Un Amor and El Triste, pleasing the Latinos—and me too. I was so happy also to hear Would She Even Know My Name as well—so beautiful! Plus I have to mention the excellent orchestra of about 30 musicians. Ignazio was his usual lively self, and at one point, when he was introducing My Way and wanting to sound like a boxing match announcer, he dropped to the floor when the other guys surprised him with a mic coming down from the ceiling (flies). I had my first Meet and Greet (this is my second concert) and it was a thrill, but there were estimated to be over 100 of us—obviously there are a lot of serious fans of our guys! I hope you like the photos from my sister Kathi–sorry we were too busy soaking up the glorious performance to take videos.
Toronto concert, review from Dolores.
I’m 90 yr. old, this was the third time I’ve seen them, twice at their earliest shows in Canada and then on September 7th in Toronto. My step-daughter and I took the train to Toronto from outside of Ottawa, and got a hotel room close to Meridian Hall. We had seats in the 7th row, with me sitting in an aisle seat.
When Ignazio came down the aisle he sat on the knee of the woman directly behind me, so I got an exceptional view of that wonderful guy and heard his voice like you wouldn’t on a CD!! The whole concert was unbelievable and the Meet and Greet afterwards was super. I told Gianluca and Ignazio it was my 90th birthday present to ME!! Got Piero to sign a CD insert for my good friend, Roz from the UK, who I’ve been writing to since January (meeting through your Flight Crew columns)..
This was an experience I will remember if I live to be 100 yrs. old. and, hopefully, I’ll get to go to another concert before I check out of this world!!
Hugs to you all!
Dolores/DeeBee
Phoenix concert, review from Martha Lukaszewski
Daniela and Pat, Thank you both for your joint efforts in bringing us all the spectacular highlights of the US tour. I saw the Phoenix concert and I witnessed their growth and maturity as artists and performers.
As a group, superb harmony. As solo performers and in duets, they have reached new levels. Piero’s voice has matured and the audience was in awe. Gianluca’s “If I can Dream” was an emotional ride with a physicality, that showed a confidence in movement. As a soloist and in the duets, Ignazio shines. But as the “Ringleader of Merriment” he is an original. The contrast from 2 years ago allowed the time to grow, and mature as men.
We are all in awe. We are here for them for years to come. Grateful : Martha
Maryann Schlessinger wrote this nice thought:
Only heard them for the first time about 1 year ago, but I was hooked immediately! I need to have my IL Volo fixed every day, so I have many of their songs on my playlist. Saw them in concert recently and they were just wonderful. They are so talented, so beautiful, so generous, so humble, so filled with love & joy that it comes through in all their songs. I am so glad to have found them & will love them forever.
…… and to her, repliedJil Shaw
Maryann Schlessinger you sound just like me. Heard the guys first last year – instantly obsessed with their beautiful voices. I saw them in Melbourne – have all their CDs and listen every single day. Don’t know what it is about Il Volo that is so special but there is something unique – in their voices, their affection for one another, their sense of fun on stage and I am just so glad I found them!!!!!!
While the Italian summer tour was in progress and then the one in Canada-North America-Australia, I received some concert reviews you attended.
I could not publish them before, because I was busy following all the various stages of the Il Volo tour, but now that Ignazio, Piero and Gianluca are at home, I intend to publish them.
I start by publishing the Ostuni concert review that came to me from Leena.
Leena is a Finnish woman, married to an Italian and they have two children. They live in Finland and in the summer they come to Italy on vacation.
I have known Leena thanks to the publication of the Ostuni concert. You remember that in the comment of a video, I explained that a woman had raised a sign that read:
“I come from Finland and I love you.”
Well, Leena read our post published on the Facebook page and understood that we were talking about her, she wrote me a message: “It was me with the sign, thank you, because I didn’t understand that Piero had read and commented on it”.
So we got in touch and exchanged many messages.
Leena, in Finland teaches Italian to a class of nearly 50 adults. She also talks about Il Volo and sometimes she uses their book “An Extraordinary Adventure” to give lessons, isn’t it fantastic???
But here’s her review:
The concert in Ostuni on July 26, 2022
I could not believe my luck, that of having the opportunity to attend a concert of Il Volo, only because this year they had decided to stop over in Ostuni and only because at that time we were already in the neighboring region for the holidays. Even now, after three months, I still can’t believe it. It seems something detached from my everyday life.
I would say that the one in Ostuni was a routine concert for the boys of Il Volo. It was still too hot when the concert started, if I remember correctly thermometer in the center of Ostuni showed 34 degrees (93 degrees Fahrenheit) and the heat there of Puglia is a humid heat that suffocates.
I had already noticed on the streets of Ostuni that there was very little publicity for the concert, practically I only saw some billboards hanging near the town villa but that billboard also advertised all the other concerts of the “Soundtrack festival” of that one week, not just theirs. I was sorry about this because I couldn’t understand why there was so little publicity given their talent and international fame.
On the evening of the 25th, while walking in Ostuni, I heard an American tourist say to their phone, “Tomorrow they will sing there,” so maybe this person too was there in Ostuni for the concert.
About a week before the concert they sent us the message in which they said it would be possible to attend the soundcheck in Ostuni. I was overjoyed because I had hoped so much since I didn’t intend to attend the M&G after the concert. On the day of the concert they called us for 6:20pm at the main entrance of the Foro Boario, the place of the concert.
The Foro Boario is a former market square for the cattle, in the shape of a stadium where they now hold concerts, and is surrounded by high walls.
When they let us in we all lined up, maybe there were 8-9 people. They sang three songs: Grande Amore, Nessun Dorma, and No Puede Ser.
I could notice many interesting things: Gianluca had a little sore throat or was it mildly cooled and seemed very suffering from the heat, Ignatius seemed the most relaxed of the three while Piero was the one who entertained us talking into the microphone throughout the soundcheck. After trying No puede ser, Piero was not happy with the performance by the musicians . After that song, it was clear that it was all over and I think they were leaving without getting off the stage to talk to us, therefore, I took courage and I am rushed to Ignazio and I asked him if they accepted gifts, so I delivered him the gifts I had bought in Finland, he seemed to me extremely kind and good.
If I had had more courage I would have asked him for the autograph for their book “An Extraordinary Adventure” that I had with me at the soundcheck but since they hadn’t gone down, I didn’t want to disturb them.
Now I regret it bitterly, if only I had had the courage to ask for that autograph, I am sure he would have done it to me. Maybe there will be another occasion.
After the soundcheck I went back to our accommodation, ate and then, I am back to the Forum again. I immediately noticed that the audience was composed mostly by people older than me, people aged 50 upwards, mostly by ladies but also by their husbands. This thing surprised me a little bit because I was expecting a slightly younger audience but I was pleased see that Il Volo attracts this type of people (perhaps people a little like me). The audience was very calm and polite, the atmosphere was very familiar and in the air there was this great expectation and enthusiasm among all of us to see and listen to the boys.
The concert started almost on time, at around 9:37pm and lasted exactly two hours. They sang 24 songs.
Here is the lineup in exact order (I wrote them down during the concert):
1. The Ecstasy of Gold 2. Nessun dorma (short version, only the first verse and the first chorus) 3. Il Mondo 4. Se telefonando 5. Se 6. Granada 7. Your Love 8. All by myself (Ignazio) 9. Your Ssong (Gianluca) 10. Un amore così grande 11. Delilah 12. My Way (Gianluca and Piero) 13. Hallelujah (Gianluca and Ignazio) 14. La donna è mobile (Ignazio and Piero) 15. Io che non vivo senza te 16. Here’s to You 17. Medley from: L’ amore si muove – Musica che resta 18. Can’t Help Falling in Love (Gianluca) 19. Caruso 20. Volare 21. Surrender 22. O ‘sole mio 23. Libiam de lieti calici 24. Grande Amore
When they got on stage and started singing, I heard right away that Gianluca’s voice no longer seemed as cold as it had been at sound check. Really very good !! I don’t know how he could fix it in a short time. We had the fourth row seats on the left so I was a lot focused on him during the concert. I noticed he had put on, or a makeup artist had put on him, a lot of black eyeliner on his eyes, this thing stood out immediately. Instead Piero and Ignazio seemed without makeup either, at least I didn’t notice anything. They started by singing the first three songs and only after the third did they start talking. When they finished “The Ecstasy of Gold” or “Nessun dorma”, I don’t remember exactly which one, Gianluca turned towards us, and with a little bow and with his hand over his heart he told us : “Good evening everyone”. You couldn’t hear it but I read the lips. After having sung “ Il Mondo”, they welcomed us and gave some compliments on the beauty of Ostuni, Gianluca said : ”How wonderful!”looking at the old part of Ostuni on the hill (I laughed because Gianluca says always “how wonderful”).
Ignazio immediately started joking saying that those people who had gathered at the foot of the city walls were tax evaders because from there it was possible to follow the whole concert without paying the ticket. Then they continued to sing. I remember that after “Your Love” Piero and Ignazio were terribly serious and also sad, they remained in silence in front of the microphone for a while. I know they think of Vito when they sing this song and I know that too little time has passed since his death but in Ostuni they didn’t mention it in any way.
My heart breaks too every time I hear Ignazio sing this song (I presume to say that I know exactly how it feels because I too lost my father at 25 and in my opinion at 25 is too young to lose a parent). Perhaps others in the audience have also heard this because even if we were sitting scattered in the stalls and in different rows, far from each other, it occurred to us to raise the billboards at the same time to lighten the atmosphere a little. I had made a big billboard, sticking together with tape cartons made from four packs of brioches and pasting on some sheets of paper on which I had written:
“I come from Finland and I love you.”
It had taken me hours to make it. When I raised it I was so excited that Piero’s immediate reaction escaped me. I only heard his question, “How do you say I LOVE YOU in Finnish?” But I absolutely didn’t want to shout it at him among the nice ladies who were sitting around me, and then also because in Finnish it is long, there are eight syllables (MINÄ RAKASTAN SINUA), I don’t think they would have remembered it.
They sang several songs without introducing them. This got me thinking that they were in a hurry to finish because they were really tired. I could also be wrong, but I had the feeling that Piero was looking forward to reaching Agrigento for the long-awaited concert in his native land, and Gianluca was just really exhausted by the heat and the frantic rhythm of the tour (Ostuni was their fifth concert in seven days, the tenth in the whole month). I wanted to hear a lot of their speeches, too about their career , but they talked little about it. They only said that they three who had met on that program and who had put them together and since then they sing and go around. I think they were almost too modest !!! Maybe their modesty is something that goes away with the years … but this is their still being very young, they are all less than 30 years old, it is another thing that I only understood attending this concert. Just watching them on TV I didn’t realize. You almost want to protect them the way you protect a child.
(Leena at the concert)
Before “Your Song” Gianluca did a slightly longer monologue on the importance of parents during adolescence, he was very sweet.
When he speaks, an enormous wisdom transpires, it makes me think that perhaps he reads a lot or that he spent a lot of time with older people when he was little. Personally he is my favorite of the trio when it comes to vocality, I’ve never heard anyone sing so well. It opens completely to the public, sometimes when he sings in certain songs it seems to me that he cries, with his voice. In my opinion he is the foundation of the group. Also as a physical presence, he looks like a god of Antiquity or a man of Renaissance. I looked at him there in Ostuni from my place and thought: “Now I look at this singing god. “ There are no words. I have seen many of their performances on YouTube and you don’t understand it when you only see it on your computer screen, but now that I’ve seen it live, I immediately noticed that it has a lot of dramatic presence.
This was my first impression during the soundcheck when I saw him and thought that this man was born to be an actor. And he would also be good … But let’s hope not because we still want him for a long time singer. Or if he wants to, he has to keep singing too.
Piero is the one who on stage keeps the rhythm with the speeches with the audience, has a way of speaking a little “professor” while Ignazio knows how to be both, very playful and very serious.
Perhaps Ignazio is the one who is more in the hands of the three. His interpretation of the song “All By Myself” was wonderful. He has such a clear voice and crystalline voice that when he sings loudly, I sometimes think it’s as if he were screaming his despair to the world, and it’s beautiful. Immediately after “Delilah” he entertained the audience by saying that his pants were broken, perhaps he said it in all the concerts, but the joke was so well done it seemed improvised.
A lady sitting not far from me said to him: “Come here, we sew it for you!” And the other ladies around us agreed. Piero commented: “Here we have many expert seamstresses.”
Compared to previous years, in my opinion they have become a little more serious, they do not joke more, as well as before. In Ostuni Piero and Ignazio teased a little Gianluca and Gianluca defended himself but never belittling them or in a vindictive way.
However towards the end of the concert they appeared very worn by the heat. Gianluca’s hair had become full of small curls due to the humidity and because of the heat, he must have sweated a lot. During the last song “Grande Amore” I raised my billboard for the second time, which I had done with so much love and dedication. Piero was positioned exactly in front of me on the stage and had it revised. He smiled shyly and nodded his head. I did not think that even Piero was so shy … I knew of Gianluca, that he had been at least as a child but now after the concert in Ostuni I know that Piero is a bit too. When I think about it again and I get excited … Piero gave me an excellent impression during the whole soundcheck and the concert even if in Ostuni he has not sung his solo. He took us very seriously and wanted us to be well and kept a good memory of it.
After they finished the concert, they still had to welcome the people with a smile because they had purchased access to Meet & Greet. I felt bad for the boys because they were exhausted. There were maybe 20 people waiting for this meeting. I did not take the ticket because in my opinion the price is exaggerated and I had already paid a lot for the tickets for all of my family.
I was very lucky to be able to attend this concert because the next day we still had to go to another concert, that of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Puglia, in the same place, but they decided to cancel it shortly before due to strong wind.
My big dream is one day be able to attend one of their concerts in Finland. Here they are still little known but at least in my small way I try to spread the word thanks to my work.
They are the best trio in the world right now and it’s impossible not to love them. Besides, if they never come here in the North, I’m sure they will other occasions to see them again in Italy.
Now, my sign is here, hanging in my home, reminding me of a beautiful concert.
Leena
Thanks Leena for the wonderful review.
It is truly remarkable that you try to make Il Volo known in Finland by teaching Italian.
See you soon with more reviews: Daniela 🤗
LAST MINUTE NEWS!!
A new book has been released and written by Gianluca, Ignazio and Piero.
It goes on sale November 8, but you can pre-ordered it on Amazon.
The title is: Il Volo, WHAT I CARRY IN THE HEART
I’ll translate the presentation for you.
Il Volo is the Italian music trio that today more than anyone else represents Italy in the world.
Since the success of Sanremo in 2015, it has had an unparalleled escalation of notoriety, which has led Piero, Gianluca and Ignazio to perform in front of millions of spectators, during the various intercontinental tours, due to which they are often far away from home.
But it is not for this, indeed perhaps by virtue of this, the bond that the three artists have with their lands of origin, with their roots and their families and traditions, remains very strong, and always represents an emotional and sentimental comfort. .
In this book the three boys talk about themselves, precisely in the light of that indissoluble bond that characterizes their artistic expression: an intimate, personal and extremely intense story of their past, their present and their future.
Most of the time, the Flight Crew uses this blog to bring Il Volo to their fans. This time, I’m going to use an article to bring some of the fans to Il Volo. It’s my hope that when one of the guys or their parents occasionally check our blog, as they sometimes do, they’ll get to know about some of you. I had the good fortune of meeting so many great people before and after the Atlantic City Borgata Casino concert, I needed to introduce some of them here. I will also add a few more notes from the show in this post, just for fun and spice.
I have Ignazio to thank for this article, in a way. As you know, his birthday was on October 4. Since the Atlantic City concert was in late September, I made the beginnings of a birthday card for him in Italian, written on the back of a Lavazza coffee poster. When I was carrying it around in the Borgata Casino, many folks who saw it, even strangers, asked if it was something that was going to be sent up to Ignazio on stage. When they heard it was something that would end up in his hands, many people wanted to write and sign and send blessings and birthday wishes to him. I talked some of the others into it, but it wasn’t difficult. So, I got to meet dozens of new people while they wrote their greetings to Igna.
The first few people I interviewed were my Aunt Florence, from Holmdel, NJ, and her friends who had come down together from central Jersey to Atlantic City for the weekend and the concert. This photo is my aunt and her crew of friends. It was easy to learn their names. My aunt is on the front right, the person on the front left is Marianne Sciuto, and everyone else is named Marilyn. Well, all except my buddy in the back, Biagio Vincenzo Schettini.
Aunt Florence told me she loved visiting Firenze (Florence), Italy because the Florentines treated her special, since she shares a name with their home. Aunt Florence is typical of many long-time Il Volo fans: it’s hard to remember exactly when she first heard them, exactly what songs they performed, or how old they were. But like most folks, she does remember where she first heard them. Any guesses? It was on a PBS special.
In my travels throughout the casino, I found there are a few things most people agree on.
1. The overwhelming majority of people first heard of Il Volo, just like my aunt did, from a PBS special. My aunt’s friend Marilyn Barrett from Aberdeen, NJ is one of the many who encountered them this way. She recalls watching a PBS concert not too many years ago when the guys were in their early 20’s (not those very first PBS concerts when they were little boys beating each other up backstage). Her favorites are Mamma and Nessun Dorma. She wants to hear them do a rendition of Time to Say Goodbye from Andrew Lloyd Weber.
2. More than one lady told me they want Gianluca to meet their granddaughter, so he can become their grandson. Marianne Cirasuolo Sciuto from Holmdel, NJ was one of those. Marianne is another who first heard Il Volo on a PBS special. It’s funny how many people, including Marianne, even if they can’t pinpoint what year they first heard Il Volo, can remember that Piero was still wearing red eyeglasses, Igna was chubby, and Gianluca, well, was Gianluca.
Marianne’s favorites are Be My Love, the Great Caruso, Il Mondo and Il Volo’s version of O Sole Mio that blends in It’s Now or Never.
While Il Volo sang that at the Borgata show, Ignazio got down from the stage, danced with someone in the front left of the stage, grabbed her and wouldn’t let her out of his arms, and insisted she had to kiss him while he sang the verse “Kiss me my darling…” So typical.
3. To most people, Piero’s voice is nothing short of astonishing. Marilyn Mazzochi Fortunato from Holmdel, NJ was one of those who told me how impressed she was with his voice’s power. She first saw Il Volo on one of their PBS special fundraisers about seven years ago. Like me, one of her favorite songs is Nessun Dorma. She would like to hear them someday do Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World or maybe Vicin’ ‘O Mare, from Patrizio Buanne. Like many of us, she can cite the many times she heard Ignazio tease Gianluca about being short. When I met her in Atlantic City, that was her first live Il Volo concert. Igna did not tease Gianluca at that show. Gianlu teased Igna about his pancia, for most of the show.
Photo by Giovanna
4. For so many, Ignazio is the son or grandson they want to feed. As I mentioned in my last article, some of them actually do feed him right on stage.
5. Most preferred Gianluca’s look before he shaved off his Italian scruff. But they’ll take him any way they can get him. Here are both looks so you can choose. As I mentioned last time, whatever was troubling Gianluca during the Atlantic City soundcheck, by the time he reached the stage at showtime, he got over it. Check the photo on the right.
Right photo by Giovanna
6. Many fans decided it’s attractive when the guys wear dress suits and designer shoes senza calze (with no socks), Italian style. I make no argument.
7. Several said they would travel to Italy to hear Piero’s first opera performance, if and when he finally does that. I’m hoping it will be Cavalleria Rusticana, which he’s been studying.
By the way, while Piero was visiting with us during the Atlantic City soundcheck, he spent most of the time accovacciato (in a deep squat) just like this so he could get down close to us to talk. I told you previously how much I enjoy his mellow speaking voice when he’s up this close. I was ordered not to use my soundcheck photo, which looks much like this one, so I borrowed this one from the web.
8. “When they open their mouth, you don’t expect what actually comes out.” This is how Andrea Casaburri Babajko from Old Bridge, NJ expressed it. She and her husband Edward last saw the guys at the Wind Creek concert in Bethel, PA on Gianluca’s birthday in February 2020. She always enjoyed how Ignazio and Piero used to do their comedy act on stage while Gianluca watched from the side. Gian is her favorite; for her as for many, he defines cute. She told me a bit of her past that many Italian Americans can identify with. Her parents were first generation Americans. When she was young, her parents and grandparents wouldn’t teach her to speak Italian. They apparently wanted to have a language they could use when they wanted to say things that they didn’t want the children to hear. Today, when she would love to understand what the Il Volo guys are saying, she can’t. Well, that’s what we Flight Crew people are here for.
Speaking of a comedy act, Igna and Piero did add in the “See you later alligator” bit which was achingly funny when Ignazio tried to say, “After a while crocodile” as he left the stage for a break. He just couldn’t pronounce the “crocodile” thing with his accent.
Photos by Giovana
SOME MORE THINGS I LEARNED
1. It’s not just women who follow the guys; guys follow the guys.
My auditorium seat neighbors, Sandra and Bob from Delaware, told me that they have followed Il Volo since their first New York concert 16 years ago. Bob is as much a long-time fan as his wife. They told me that the first show they saw was in a theater in New York that started with the letter “A”. Do any of you readers know what theater that might have been?
My friend Biagio Vincenzo became acquainted with Il Volo on a PBS special or two, just like many others. He did not have to be asked twice to come hear them live when the opportunity came.
2. Along for the Ride.
One of the most exciting things for me was my Aunt Florence’s friend Marilyn Ratel from Aberdeen, NJ. She told me she was a fan of Dean Martin. She’s in good company because Gianluca is also a Dean Martin fan. Why was I excited for her? Before this trip, she never heard of Il Volo, never heard a single performance or recording, knew nothing about them, and came to Atlantic City because the other ladies talked her into it. She walked into the concert “blind” as it were, having no idea what she was going to hear and be part of. She described herself as “along for the ride.” What a ride she got!
Gianluca, plus hat, receiving a Dean Martin award from the Abruzzo community.
3. Some American fans had to leave the US to even hear of Il Volo.
I met Rita Fries, from Philadelphia, while we were in line to get our postponed tickets printed. She and her husband never heard of Il Volo until they vacationed outside the US five years ago in . . . Aruba of all places. Someone in Aruba was the first to tell them about Il Volo, whom they checked out on YouTube. Rita has since joined every on-line Il Volo group she could find including Facebook groups, fan clubs, and Flight Crew. The first time she and her husband heard Il Volo live was in this very same Borgata Atlantic City auditorium on Gianluca’s birthday weekend in February of 2020. She said Piero stole her heart, right down to the look and the glasses. She told me that following them on PBS specials is not enough for her; as long as she lives, she will go to every concert she can get to. This Atlantic City concert was her first soundcheck and first VIP ticket. She picked a good one to attend her first soundcheck, since Piero took so much time with us.
Catherine Land from Philadelphia, who has been to the Borgata before on Valentine’s Day in 2018, gets the prize for how an American fan first heard of Il Volo. Her family is from Campobello di Licata, Sicily. That’s not far from Piero’s home in Naro, and is north of the summer house I had rented in Sicily in 2020 before Covid shut down my trip. Here’s her story. It happened when she was in Italy 11 or so years ago visiting family in Sicily. She was watching television and, not planning exactly what she wanted to watch, came across a talent show on live TV. Guess which one? Yes, Ti Lascio Una Canzone. She saw a certain three little boys at the same time the rest of Italy first saw them. She can actually say she’s been with them from Day 1.
During the Borgata concert, after they finished singing I Wonder Would She Even Know Me Now from Cinema Paradiso, Piero asked the audience if they knew how Il Volo met. As a joke he offered free tickets to the next show to whomever knew the answer. There were so many people yelling Ti Lascio Una Canzone, they would have to give away most of the seats in the auditorium. I think they should have given a prize to Catherine.
4. Some European fans had to move to the US to hear of Il Volo.
Maria Atanasova, from Fairlawn, NJ, was born in Bulgaria. She did not become acquainted with Il Volo until she came to the US, when someone showed her a YouTube video. She was aware they have played in Bulgaria, but that’s not where she saw her first concert. Atlantic City, the day I met her, was her first concert. Her favorite is Ignazio, and not just for constantly being a rompiscatole, as he calls himself. (I’m not going to translate that). She prefers his stretched lyric tenor voice. Her favorites are Il Mondo and Grande Amore.
5. Some fans have met every one of the guys’ parents.
I met Joanne D’Angelo from Philadelphia, PA when she heard me speaking Italian in the upstairs hallway. She has studied Italian for over 20 years. She was actually at the very first Il Volo US concert at the Borgata Atlantic City and remembers the exact date, September 24, 2011. Yes, Ignazio was chubby, Piero had the funny red glasses. But none of that mattered. Since the 2011 show she has been to 18 concerts, many of them in Italy. These include one in Naples, and the 2014 Pescara concert where she met Gianluca’s father, Ercole, in Montepagano afterwards. She has met every one of the Il Volo parents before or since.
6. Il Volo does reach young Americans.
I actually met some of them. My friend Biagio took me to visit his sister, Elvira, the weekend of the concert, and I got another surprise. When his nephew and his nephew’s fiancée, Christian and Kimberly, both 28-year-old young professionals, heard us talking about the show, they immediately joined us from the other room, explaining that they were big fans as well. Before the visit was over, these two were asking how to find tickets for the New York City show the following weekend. I don’t know if they ever got them. I do know it’s not always the case that the young lady discovers Il Volo first and coaxes their spouse or partner to listen. In this case it was the guy who got his girlfriend to listen in. How’s that for a change? These folks were kind enough to write what they wanted the rest of us to know. Here they are in their own words to prove I’m telling the truth:
PHOTO REMOVED PER REQUEST OF SUBJECT. JMV MAY 4, 2024.
Photo by Giovanna
Christian Schettini, from Staten Island NY: “I first listened to Il Volo when they were still teenagers about 8 or 9 years ago. I was searching YouTube for O Sole Mio and came across a music video featuring teenage boys. I was incredibly impressed and have been a fan since!”
Kimberly Bellido, from New York, NY: “My first time listening to Il Volo was on a road trip to Toronto. It was on the road trip playlist that my boyfriend made. I absolutely loved their song Il Mondo.”
So, you see, it wasn’t ladies first this time.
Thank you to everyone who spent some time with me and my note papers, cell phone and camera. The next time I’m at a show I will try to get to know more of you.
How about some of you readers telling us how you first heard of Il Volo, especially if it was some unusual way, or tell us what song you’d like to hear Il Volo perform someday. Hopefully, one of the guys, one of their parents, or Barbara Vitale, or Michele Torpedine will notice and maybe make it happen.
The last time I wrote a story like this was when the guys were in Verona doing their wonderful Concert for Rai and PBS. I called it Phenomenal. I totally lost count of how many times I used that word phenomenal in my story!
“The beat goes on,” Radio City Music Hall was a Phenomena.
Where do I begin to talk about the three amazing men who stood in front of me at Radio City Music Hall and totally blew my mind!
They have matured in body and mind and their voices have gone to another level of magnificence!
Yes, we watched them grow but this is different. There’s a beautiful presence about them now. A certain elegance! After thirteen years they haven’t waned, they’ve increased in strength and intensity! There is a certain power in their voices that grabs you from the first note of the concert to the last.
Each guy has grown into his voice and is showing a maturity and style the likes of which men who are approaching the end of their careers can only have imagined! Thirteen years of a lifetime! A lifetime full of wonders and experience which most entertainers will never have the honor of knowing.
I’ve worked in this industry, and I’ve seen young people achieve fame and throw it all away on foolishness! Many have achieved fame but what they do with it makes the difference!
These men have shared the fruits of their fame. They didn’t take their fame and run with, they cherished it and used it to help others. They could have gone home to their families until the next tour but no they shared their good fortune. This is what makes them so great. This is what makes them incredible. For this reason, these entertainers are loved by their fans in the most incredible way!
Standing in line at Radio City Music Hall, waiting for an Il Volo Concert, you get the feeling that you aren’t going to a concert rather you’re going to a big party that is being thrown by a member of your family!
Speaking with some of the fans, I asked what it is that they love about the guys on a more personal level. Many said their openness and generosity with the fans. They consider them like family. Some said they are the son they never had or the grandson they admire. Much like the fans who write to me each week. There is a beauty about the relationship between the fans and Il Volo. Il Volo is family!
The fans were the ones who got them through it all when they were young, and they never forget to say thank you! They attribute their fame not to their talent but to the fans who come back time after time, year after year to be with them. No, the fans are not followers in a sense that most fans are! No, they are family that always wants to be there for their boys!
It wasn’t always easy for the guys but when they had a goal, they went for it!
I remember Ignazio saying in a video when they first came to New York. “This is Radio City! We hope, I hope, everyone hopes to go there to do a big concert for the American people.”
What a dream! Who could possibly have thought that three Italian teenagers could have achieved this dream and stepped on to the stage at Radio City Music Hall and brought us all to absolute ecstasy with their voices!
Most entertainers want to perform at Radio City once in their lifetime! It’s a dream, it’s every entertainer’s dream! Our guys have done it year after year to sold out audiences! And every time is better than the last.
And the guys are honored to have achieved this wonderful opportunity to appear in the greatest and most well-known Music Hall in the World!
So, let’s follow these three extremely handsome men, who have the world in the palm of their hands, to Radio City Music Hall!
Soundcheck….
First instruction! No videos! Photos are okay!
As we enter the theater, we can’t help but notice the quietness of the stage! The dim lights reflect the different movements on the stage. In the shadows we see the skeleton of a band. As we get closer to the stage, we see Ignazio conversing with Giampiero. Always instructing, always advising! We see Piero making final arrangements for his pieces.
We begin….
Ignazio never ceases to amaze me. His natural demeanor, his ease of movement. As he moves everything around him becomes a production. Ignazio is the production, and we are watching him move into action! No detail goes unnoticed by him! Lights, microphone, everything technical within his reach is looked at. His eyes miss nothing! He’s on a roll. A few verses of a song to make sure it’s right and then….
Piero steps up to the mike and belts out a song and we are immediately aware of his greatness!
Recently I said Piero has expanded and grown during this time of isolation. It’s never more evident than in this moment! Though we are supposed to be quiet we can’t help but applaud at the end of his song! A few instructions to the staff and Piero moves on!
In the meantime, Ignazio is preparing for his song! He steps up to the mike and, Mother of God save us, he blows our minds with his beautiful voice! At the end, forget the silence, Applause! Applause! Some instructions to the staff and he moves on.
So, here we go Gianluca has appeared. Strolling around saying hi to everyone. Is he even awake yet? Not sure.
Gianluca steps up to the mike and I guess he is awake after all because he thrilled us with his magnificent voice! So strong, so enticing!
You will notice that I did not mention what they are singing that’s because we were not able to video the event so in order for you to get the full effect of the soundcheck experience I’m not going to tell you what they sang!
Time to gather around Giampiero for an absolutely beautiful song then it’s the orchestras turn!
The guys listen to the orchestra and then it’s time for some duets!
Group picture with the fans and then back to the soundcheck!
All is well and time to go! The guys tell us they will see us in a little while! Farewell applause and out we go!
The soundcheck was amazing because we got to hear their voices up close and see their true expression and feel what they were feeling in their delivery! A totally awesome experience!
Out in the lobby, we spend the next two hours talking about the guys and greeting people we know and some we don’t!
There were people here from all over the United States. Actually, all over the world! My friend Berenice Castro Rom with fans from Mexico and the ladies from Argentina. I heard Gianluca say at Soundcheck something about fans from Puerto Rico.
Many of the fans like Sanna Frediksson and Kathleen Banaszkiewicz also told me they were at some of the concerts in Europe! What fan flies halfway around the world to see a concert! Very many went to Taormina and Verona! Totally amazing!
So now we’re ready for another phenomenal performance!
Let’s set the stage….
The new scenery….
With the exception of the Verona concert in June 2021, Il Volo never has a fancy stage set! They don’t need it. All the elegance is in their beautiful voices and a fancy stage would only distract from their magnificence! This stage is actually elegant in its simplicity!
Simple silver drapes that reflect the changing light around them is all that is needed. The shades of red and blue and purple constantly change the scene and the atmosphere! It’s a feeling of movement within a shimmering glow of color! We watch the guy’s appear and disappear within the shadow of the brilliant colors!
The Orchestra….
A simple stringed orchestra of at least a dozen violins, cellos and a harp. Always a flute and horns. Drums and guitars and the ever presence Giampiero Grani on piano and conducting!
Stage set!
Wardrobe….
Black and White and elegant!
When the white suits first appeared in Toronto, I have to admit I wasn’t totally on board with it. Then I saw some photos of the guys and I had to admit they were drop dead gorgeous in them! But when the guy’s walked out on stage I finally saw how elegant they were. Perfect in every way! Who would have thought they would ever see three guy’s singing bel canto in white tuxedos. The time has come to change their direction and clothes and go to a new comfort zone! Great choice guys! You look marvelous!
During the performance they do change into the black and for a while we watch the black and white play off one other!
A wonderful new vision! Bravo!
So let the show begin!
After the show I did a review on Ticketmaster. So, let’s start with my summary to them.
The best 2 1/2 hours I’ve spent in over two years when I last saw Il Volo at Radio City Music Hall. The new show is an event not to be missed! Along with their bel canto they have exciting new songs that will go to the core of your heart! They are three voices that form a symphony. Individually and together, they will capture your inner being and leave their mark on your heart forever. If you haven’t seen them yet, it’s time you did!
This concert was different….
I remember when the guys first recorded the Morricone album, I thought this is going to be different. It certainly was! The guys were moving out of their comfort zone. To some degree, they were taking a chance. They certainly try new and different things, but this was even different from their normal different.
When the guys wanted to go to Sanremo they debated it and went back and forth and finally everyone was onboard. The decision to do this album and production had to be very much like that. It was risky. They had no idea if this would work but they took the chance because they believed Morricone’s music was important and they wanted to share it with the world.
I always say that Pino Daniele wrote his songs for Ignazio and here I have to say Morricone wrote his songs for Il Volo. There were no words until Il Volo appeared. This music is so perfect for them. The genius of Morricone and the genius of Il Volo what a combination.
The result is an album which brought Morricone’s music to life and catapulted our guys into a new musical direction. Bel canto and beyond!
The greatness of Morricone was hidden for so many years. After receiving an Honorary Academy Award from the Academy, people began to notice Morricone and those who snubbed him for so many years, were forced to admit he was one of the greatest composers of the century.
The guys were in the middle of the pandemic, and they knew when they came out of it, it would be like starting all over again. So, you might ask, why take the risk with this music? I think the answer was simple. During their quarantine, something amazing happened, these three men had the opportunity to be at home, to live normal lives and to finally be in a position where they could take the time needed to consider their next move.
Coming back after the pandemic wasn’t going to be easy but, during that time something else happened, Morricone, who the guys had a great respect for, died. When the project came to them, it wasn’t just the opportunity to do this album but to be a big part in the decisions about this album. For one, they could select which music they wanted. Over five hundred pieces were available. At this moment, they had an opportunity to take a good look at their future and they decided to go for it!
When they stepped on the stage at Radio City Music Hall, they already had a successful album and people loved the new music.
The Production….
But how was it possible that people were able to jump onboard so easily with this music? The answer is in the opening number. The one song everyone knows is The Ecstasy of Gold and so that’s where we begin….
What a way to start a show! Now the adrenaline is flowing….
The next song touches our heart every time….
Your Love
Have you noticed the strength in their voices. Very mature! Crisp and clear! Fine-tuned! They went from amazing to phenomenal. They truly took my breath away.
What I also noticed is the audience was more attentive. Not jumping up and down but truly paying attention like they never did before. I think they were experiencing something new, and they liked it! And at the end of the songs, they applauded and stood to acknowledge them every time. They truly showed their love to the guys.
During the songs people were listening and following each guy as he moved around. It was like surround sound. Their voices were coming from everywhere. A true Symphony!
How about those duets…..
Always amazing!
But before the duets, how about some great humor?
Introduction to My Way
The Solos….
Mr. Personality! Ignazio you truly are the whole production!
What’s new and beautiful….
Our favorites were there too….
Did you notice how their voices can change your whole state of mind?
And how about those little moves that can drive you wild….
Okay Gian! You almost got it! Now move!
So, if you’re going to start all over, why not try something different. They did and it worked! They presented a concert that was a marvel, a sensation, a curiosity in other words, a Phenomena!
And so, I end this story with my favorite picture of the evening! Me and the guys! Thank you for a phenomenal evening. You truly swept me off my feet. Each of you knows what you did for me! Thank you from the bottom of my heart! See you in LA!
Join me next week as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and open the door to a new adventure!
If you would like to share a story with me, please email: susan.flightcrew@yahoo.com
To read more Il Volo stories visit us at www.ilvoloflightcrw.com
I’m from Colorado but made a trip home to New Jersey to have an Italian weekend with my old college buddy Biagio and his Calabrese family, my Venetian/Napolitana good friend Rosaria, my Aunt Florence whose family is from Avellino, and my cousin Ken. I topped it all off with the Il Volo concert in Atlantic City – two more Siciliani and a Rosetone from Abruzzo. . . With this crew, we had most of southern Italy covered.
The Atlantic City Borgata Casino concert proved to be many firsts for me. In the past I’ve only heard Il Volo in outdoor venues in Italy. This concert was my first time see Il Volo in the US, my first time to hear them in an indoor theater, my first time to attend a soundcheck, and my first time to hear them with my family and friends.
Since I had never attended an Il Volo soundcheck before, I had no idea how tense the guys can be before a performance, and how tough they are on themselves while they’re preparing for the show. Our small group’s entry into the soundcheck was delayed several times because of Il Volo’s personal dynamic on the rehearsal stage that day. I was surprised, but also impressed, by several things I observed.
1. Gianluca is a perfectionist and when critiquing the rehearsal, did not even spare himself. Because some of us at the soundcheck understood Italian, the guys could not hide the sharp exchanges they do in Italian to get each song perfect. For example, while we were walking in, Gian was urging Ignazio to change how he comes in on Nessun Dorma. He was identifying note sbagliate (wrong notes) and some parts of the interpretation that made that songbrutto (ugly). He sang Ignazio’s entry and repeated it with a higher lift so they could hear and change it.
2. Much to Ignazio’s credit, he listened patiently and adapted instantly. When they sang Nessun Dorma in concert, it was perfect. I was impressed with Ignazio’s flexibility, Gianluca’s professionalism, and how fast they shifted gears before showtime. Despite the tough criticism and hard work beforehand, by the time the show opened, Gian was laughing, smiling, waving, and playing with the crowd like normal, and Gian and Igna were hugging and hanging all over each other, as usual.
3. I had no idea Piero is such a complete and utter gentleman. He took the time to come downstage, talk to us and make us feel comfortable despite the working tension on stage. He made us welcome, asked us about ourselves, and actually listened. Throughout the rehearsal, he clued us in on which number they were going to rehearse next, and thanked us repeatedly for our patience. He also jokingly asked if these front section seats were our actual seats during the show. For some of us, they were. By the way, I never knew that Piero’s speaking voice when he’s right up close to you was so soft and dark. He sings tenor but speaks in a velvety almost baritone. He apparently never raises his speaking voice before a show, to save the volume and power for the stage. Ragazzo intelligente. Smart boy.
Piero had noticed how empty Atlantic City is for a beach town. He wondered out loud to us what people actually do around there. The answer? “Giocano a carte e perdono soldi.” They play cards and lose money. Piero himself had dragged some of the Il Volo crew down to the casino the previous night. He insisted he didn’t lose any money. Maybe that’s because he spent his time in the casino taking selfies with fans who spotted him. A few of the fans I met during the VIP reception had done that.
At sound check, I took some close-up photos of each of the guys running around in their warm-up clothes, hanging all over Gianpiero’s piano, calling instructions to the sound guys, and visiting with us. Sorry I cannot share the pictures. Marianna, the fan manager at this location, said we could take all the soundcheck pictures we wanted, but insisted we cannot post any of them on social media. The concert pictures are a different story.
On to the Show
First off, they did not wear any white suits this time, so Ignazio did not have to complain he looked like a white salami or an ice cream vendor.
After they opened with The Ecstasy of Gold, Piero explained what was so special about the Atlantic City Borgata Casino. That helped me understand why the guys had been so stressed earlier that day. I didn’t know that Il Volo’s very first concert on their first tour in the US, when they were young kids starting out, was on this exact stage at the Borgata. The New Jersey, Delaware, and Philadelphia fans who come here every year were the first to accept them back when they were 16 years old. Since then, the guys try to make every return performance there more powerful than the last one, so they put themselves under a lot of pressure.
Piero described Il Volo’s first Atlantic City concert describing themselves as novice performers, just young kids. Ignazio described the three of them as little “cuties.” Piero played dumb and insisted he didn’t understand what “cutie” is in English. Piero asked the audience if they know what “cutie” sounds like to an Italian, then gave an Italian lesson. In Italian it’s not “cutie,” it’s chiudi, as in chiudi la porta (shut the door). Of course, nobody shut the door on them when they were young performers, which is partly why they are where they are today.
Piero promised they would perform some Italian favorites, some American favorites, some opera, and of course some selections from the late Maestro Morricone. If you follow the Flight Crew you have all seen this season’s approximate song list in other postings, so I won’t repeat it. I will highlight a few of the surprises I enjoyed, and some of the funnies.
I liked how they freshened up the act by replacing some of the solos. One of the new ones was Ignazio interpreting Celine Dionne’s version of “All by Myself,” even though that was not originally her song. Gianluca wanted to know why Ignazio insisted on singing a song about “Obama’s Elf,” or at least that’s what it sounds like with Ignazio’s accent.
I was looking forward to Gianluca doing “If I Can Dream” because I heard him rehearsing it at the soundcheck. He really nailed it for all its worth that night. His version was hot, bluesy, and rocked in a way Elvis Presley never did.
The ragazzi reintroduced Tom Jones’ Delilah, which they have not done on stage in some years, but they added a twist. They no longer finish the song with a shoving match as they used to do when they were teens. This time, Piero added a remarkably long sustain, and Ignazio chose to almost growl his lines about “the knife in my hand” and “she laughed no more.” They are not little boys any more.
I have never heard them do the Great Caruso or Funiculi Funicula in concert before, except on a CD. Of course, Il Volo got drowned out by the front section of the audience who all know the words to Funiculi Funicula and insisted on singing along. It reminded me of concerts in the Teatro Antico in Taormina.
Gianluca spent a good part of the concert patting Ignazio’s pancia (belly) and teasing him “No more cannoli for you.” Ignazio claimed he had gained 10 kilos since the last tour, but didn’t care, then promptly told Gianluca to cut it out. Igna recited to the audience the Italian expression “Uomo di pancia, uomo di sostanza.” He didn’t translate it, but he didn’t have to with this very Italian-American audience. (Man with a belly is a man of substance). The fact is, he really doesn’t have a belly.
I had really liked Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah from the first time I heard it in a Nicholas Cage movie. I knew Gianluca and Ignazio have been doing it in the middle of their program as a memorial to those lost over the last two and a half years. But I had no idea how moving and soulful their version is.
It was a delightful surprise that Piero and Ignazio chose to add La Donna e Mobile to the program. Even though that piece has the most chauvinistic, insulting, anti-female lyrics ever written, it’s still a great song. I took my daughter-in-law Anya to hear Verdi’s Rigoletto last summer performed by Central City Opera, so I have recently heard it live. But Central City’s tenor couldn’t touch Il Volo’s two tenors, who simply blew him away. Ignazio’s interpretation was creative and flat out powerful. Piero revealed that when Ignazio first brought up the idea to duet this with him, Piero told him he was crazy. However, they had so much fun practicing it with their voice coaches, they decided to let the rest of us in on the fun, and the result was amazing.
All the people I interviewed before the show wanted to send “Auguri” and other greetings to Ignazio on a card in anticipation of his birthday on October 4. So, we collectively wrote him a handmade birthday card. If you’ve ever heard Ignazio joking on American stages, he often laments that they don’t have decent Italian coffee like Lavazza or Illy in the US. He also complains that Americans drink coffee in a mug the size of a swimming pool. During soundcheck earlier in the day, I waved our handmade card to ask him if I could send it up to the stage later during the show. He thumbed up that it would be OK. But I deliberately didn’t show the back of it to him at that time.
What he didn’t know was that the funny-looking creased piece of cardboard we wrote on was the back of a Lavazza coffee poster. It seems Igna was wrong about Americans and our coffee: we do have some good coffee here, at least in Italian communities. You should have seen his face when he got the card in his hands, turned the used cardboard over and saw the coffee ad. He was looking around but couldn’t find anyone in the crowd to make a face at. (Or more likely gestures; you know how he is). But he had already gotten even with us birthday greeters well before he got the card. Early in the show he announced to someone near the stage who was wishing him happy birthday that, “It’s bad luck to wish someone happy birthday before it’s their birthday.” I heard that, but it did not stop me sending the card to the stage anyway. My thanks to Sandra Libretto from Delaware, a major Ignazio fan sitting next to me, who wanted to carry the card up to him on stage. Thanks also to her husband Bob for letting her climb out over him in a rush to do that for us.
Most of you have probably already seen Piero and Ignazio do their “Sicilian sign language” and heard Gianluca joke about having to deal with two Sicilians all day every day. This time when Gianluca made his usual complaint, and asked if anyone out in the audience was Sicilian (so he wouldn’t offend anyone) the whole front center section started shouting at him. He was outnumbered. Before the show, many people in our section were talking to each other in our various dialects and most of us in fact were Sicilian or Calabrese. The man behind me was from Sciacca, Sicily (not far from Piero’s home), my family is from Palermo, and Biagio’s family is from near Cosenza, Calabria. We all understood each other and of course the two Il Volo Sicilians, as well as Gianluca the “honorary Sicilian,” understood us when even when we shouted things in dialect at them.
The Covid years have not stopped the guys from roaming the aisles and playing with the fans during the show. While they sang Here’s to You from Sacco and Vanzetti Piero came down my aisle and was fist-bumping, high-fiving, hugging and selfie-ing like the old days.
Normally, if you want a selfie with Piero, he takes the phone from you and takes the picture for you. But the lady behind me had her phone ready to go, and he let her do-it-herself, as you can see.
You can tell how multi-talented Ignazio is, by watching just a few minutes on stage. Beside his singing, he played the piano to jazz up Torna a Surriento, “conducted” the orchestra with his hands on several numbers, and announced Piero and Gian’s duet of My Way with the long, roaring rumble of a boxing emcee announcing a prize fight. Piero shook his head teasing that with this crowd, Ignazio even got un applauso(an ovation) for eating a piece of bread behind the piano.
Let me explain. One of the most remarkable things I saw at this show was something I’ve never seen at any concert, ever. In my day, I’ve seen all kinds of stuff sent up to performing artists on stage, from love beads to flowers to hotel room keys. You may even have heard the story about some young lady throwing her brassiere on stage to Gianluca, with her phone number pinned inside. But this concert was a first. A sweet little old lady struggled up my aisle hauling a huge double-thick paper shopping bag full of home-made Italian food. When Ignazio caught sight of her, there was no stopping him. He started waving and gesturing to everybody in our aisle to get out of his way and let her through, because she’s coming for him. Then he personally came down to get the bag from her. Two songs later, Ignazio was behind the piano eating fresh Italian bread. Welcome to Il Volo in the New Jersey, Philadelphia Italian–American style.
I think one of the best things about Il Volo is that they have great fans. For two days I had so much fun meeting and interviewing fans from all around the NJ, Philadelphia, Delaware area, that I decided I need to do a whole second article. Thank you to everyone who wrote birthday greetings to Ignazio, and to every fan who let me interview them. You’ll get to meet them in my next article.
All photos by Giovanna Tischler
Come in and share the love of life, friends and Il Volo!
