Another beautiful stage of the tour is done, but the thought is immediately to the next concert, there is a lot of anticipation.
As announced by Il Volo, the concert, to be held in SUNRISE Arena, will be broadcast live streaming everywhere, and the proceeds will be donated to charity for the victims of Hurricane Jan.
Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca had a big heart to propose this initiative, born from their own ideas, and for this cause, they also publicized the event, participating in various broadcasts:
They were interviewed by Camilo via twitter for Spanish CNN.
In this interview, Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca also answered questions asked by the fans.
In this short video there is a question asked to Ignazio, and exactly:
Camilo = A good question: Hi I want to know which one of you has a girlfriend and how you can have a long distance relationship.
Did you understand Ignazio? (He laughs)
Ignazio = The first part I did not understand.
Piero = (he explains in Italian to Ignazio) If you have a girlfriend, how do you maintain a long-distance relationship?
I had the girlfriend, I had.
Long-distance love is not easy, but if you want, everything is possible. Some things have a beginning and we don’t know when it will end, when it is the end, and we have to take advantage of each day as if it were the last, and I am a person who always does this. Then, I have no regrets in my life. Well, I’m happy like that.
(This definitely makes us understand that the relationship between Ignazio and Ana Paula is over. Ok Ignazio, we just need you to confirm that you are happy.)
They participate in the broadcast DESPIERTA AMERICA where, after talking about the live streaming concert for charity, they perform IL MONDO and EL TRISTE.
a NOTICIAS UNIVISION
Then to the EN CASA CON TELEMUNDO program.
To the EL GORDO Y LA FLACA program, with Lili Estefan.
(Have fun reading my translation, I do not know Spanish but it is clear that being Italian I understand it enough and then I try to interpret, I hope I have interpreted well.)
At the beginning Piero explains that they will do a concert at SUNRISE, and it will be broadcast in live streaming and the donations will be in favor of the people affected by the hurricane.
Lili says it’s nice that three young Italians have this feeling towards the locals.
Ignazio explains that they know they have some influence and it is right that they use it to help people, he says that they have always been well received in South America and have a good connection with Florida.
Lili says to send a nice message to the fans.
Gianluca says that fans have been following them for 13 years, and for them it was a privilege to have made their passion their job. He says that the last two years of Covid have been tough and at this moment the hurricane has also come, and therefore as Piero and Ignazio said, they must help.
Ignazio explains that there are not many words to say, whole books can be written, but their, the artists, must think about how to help people, that is, by buying the ticket.
Piero says that on their social network there will be all the details, it will be very easy, something that even his grandmother could do.
Lili goes on to say that it will be enough to click to donate.
The other woman asks the guys how they have this great connection with fans everywhere, and Ignazio replies: “Becausewe areItalian”. 😁😁😁
Then Piero tells that in the morning they woke up and he asked what they had to do promotion that day and then they told him that in the afternoon he would meet the love of his life (he is being gallant with Lili ….. exclamations of all)
The other woman says that if she (Lili) is the love of your life, you need to clarify.
Lili asks if they are all still single, because she hasn’t seen them for two years and she is a little lost.
Piero confirms that they are single. (at that moment Gianluca points outwards, probably Eleonora is there, and he intends to point her out to Lili).
Lili asks, again “Are you all single?”
Piero says he is single, then adds that he is single in Italy, in Miami he is not single (laughter) and then Piero confirms that in Miami he is not single, in the rest of the world he is single (he continues to be gallant with Lili ).
Lili says they (the staff) told her there was the interview, but she didn’t know it was with them (Il Volo).
Gianluca says that the surprise is the best thing.
Lili confirms that this is so and then she returns to the topic of the Sunday concert, and asks Il Volo to sing a piece for them, the other woman also asks to please do it and Il Volo performs a piece from IL MONDO a cappella. (applause) 🤗
At the end of the interview, while they were taking pictures, also this happened with Lili, poor Gianluca, hit in the head by an elbow !!
Also the Italian RAI 1 news broadcast, broke the news.
MAN = And now let’s go and meet three talents who successfully bring Italian music to the world, but first let’s listen to their music.
And here they are, Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto and Gianluca Ginoble, or Il Volo, in connection with us from Florida, good evening guys, and thanks for being with us, good morning to you, but what are you doing in Florida?
PIERO = We are in Florida, tonight we will sing here in Miami. A few days ago we had to cancel our concert in Fort Myers due to the hurricane that destroyed part of Florida. Tonight we decided to broadcast the Miami concert in live global streaming, for a fundraiser, to help all victims affected by the hurricane.
MAN = How is your American tour going?
GIANLUCA = Well, now we are in Florida, we went to RCMH a few weeks ago, and the next stops will be Phoenix, Los Angeles and then we will finish in Australia, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.
IGNAZIO = Then we will returnin December doing indoor sports in Italy, on the 15th in Turin, on the 17th in Milan and on the 23rd in Rome …..
GIANLUCA = …. December, of course
IGNAZIO = For tonight’s concert we will be live around 2:00 am in Italy, on our social networks you can find all the information, the platform is called StageIt.com
MAN = A nice tour of the world, but in all these concerts … America, Italy, Australia, is there a song that can never be missing and above all do you let us listen to it?
PIERO = We close all the concerts with Grande Amore, with that melody, we open the concerts with the Ecstasy of Gold, so it is a concert that ranges in more melodies.
What do we close with, what do we do? (Piero turns to his colleagues)
IGNAZIO = (Ignazio start to sings a piece of Il Mondo)…… ed il giorno verrà, stanotte amore non ho più pensato a te, a te!!
MAN = Thanks guys, thanks, good concert.
Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca also made a video to promote the live streaming concert and donations.
There is a lot of anticipation for the concert and the day before the date Arianna the Singer also joins the project.
Arianna Bergamaschi is a very good Italian singer who lives in the U.S. She already sang with Il Volo about 10 years ago, it is a pity that here in Italy she is very little known.
Arianna wrote this:
“After exactly 10 years from our last performances here in the USA, tonight with immense joy and emotion I will duet at the FLA Arena in Miami with the friends of Il Volo during their concert.
The show will also be streaming worldwide on the site Stageit.com and proceeds will be donated to the victims of Hurricane Ian which has just devastated a large swath of Florida territory.
As a new resident of Florida I am happy to be able to give my contribution and I invite you to buy the streaming tickets and enjoy the concert thus supporting this wonderful initiative! I embrace you all !!”
Here are Il Volo and Arianna in a video from 2012, Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca, really very young !!
October 9 – SUNRISE
And here we are finally on the night of the concert.
I too bought my ticket to participate in the streaming, but since here in Italy it will be 02:15 am, I didn’t think I would see it …………… instead at 03:20 am I woke up and then I tried to connect, and it was wonderful, from My Way to the end I saw every moment, the image and the sound were perfect, I felt like I had Il Volo singing in my home, wonderful !! ❤
I would have liked to attach the video of the entire concert that my friend Carmen from Il Volo in Clase made, but unfortunately, the video was blocked.
There were the first images of the beginning, what emotion!!
The concert was amazing, the beautiful and large Sunrise arena was full of people in crazy love for Il Volo.
Ignazio, Piero and Gianluca, beautiful in their white suits and also very excited.
The audience greeted them with a roar. ❤
The lineup of songs is slightly varied, some songs in Spanish have been included, which I really like and which I propose to you in these videos.
CARUSO – EL TRISTE – FUNICULÌ FUNICULÀ – LIBIAM DE LIETI CALICI , O SOLE MIO , Wow, wow, wow!!
HERE’S TO YOU
At the beginning of the video there is confusion, but then you see what joy and admiration among the audience.
HALLELUJAH, what emotion!
SE, sweetest, there are no words
SMILE, with the good Arianna, listen to these magnificent four voices !!! Enchantment.
Arianna wrote like this:
Thanks Miami and the wonderful audience of @flalivearena and thanks to the most powerful and talented group that ever I sang with: Il Volo, for the magical moment we shared last night !!
“You will find that life is still worth it if you just SMILE !!”
Among the audience there was also Lili Estefan and see what Piero does during O SOLE MIO.
What a wonderful evening, what a thrill, for everyone, for the public and for our beloved Gianluca, Piero and Ignazio, incredible that all this has already happened, and unfortunately the end of the American tour is coming, only two concerts and then they will fly in. Australia for three more concerts.
You bring the beautiful song, beautiful voices and sympathy, beauty and harmony, a smile wherever you go.
Thank you guys!
………. and after so much effort, this also happens at the meet & greet, fantastic and good Derek !!
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 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.
On September 27, Il Volo arrived in New York, in the prestigious Radio City Music Hall theater. It is a very important and coveted stage for our young men.
Our Susan, who was present at RCMH, did a great review, and therefore, I’ll just publish only these two photos!
September 29, BETHLEHEM
Il Volo continues to reap successes. The concerts, even if not always sold out, always have a notable presence of people and they are all happy with the concerts they attend.
Bethlehem is not far behind too !! ☺
We know the songs well, but we like to see them again every time, and in particular, to hear their beautiful voices !! 😁
O SOLE MIO
IF I CAN DREAM
ALL BY MYSELF
LA DONNA È MOBILE
GRANDE AMORE
And here is one of the nice comments posted on Ticketmaster:
Fantastic!
The Wind Creek Event Center – Bethlehem
The best show ever, a great musical repertoire, they even came out in the crowd. I took my mom for her birthday and she was beside herself! He had the opportunity to touch and speak with Piero and Gianluca. More than 60 years of concerts and it had never happened to her before. Thanks, Il Volo!
What can I say, the concerts continue very well, but Il Volo is taking the road to Florida. Unfortunately, the news about the hurricane is terrible.
The next concert is in ATLANTA, Georgia and the situation is calm there, so the concert will be there!
Many of you have asked for news of the guys who were on their way to Atlanta, they are all fine, as you can see from the photo posted by Gianluca’s father, Ercole, just arrived in Atlanta.
Look how sweet Gianluca is with the two beautiful little girls.
But what you don’t see, at the end of the video, is this fact and our friend Judy Thurman, who was present that evening, tells us about it, thanks Judy!
“I forgot to mention that one of the guys last night was having a special evening as his frequent glances were centered on one side of the auditorium! As time went by Gianluca walked to his right on the edge of the stage while he sang ‘Here’s to you’. A sweet little girl and a lovely slightly older girl came immediately to him and he welcomed them as he always does! As the song ended Gianluca walked over to a beautiful young dark haired woman, hugged her and kissed her hair or cheek. It was his girlfriend, Eleonora Venturini Storaro, who had just arrived from Italy earlier in the day. The smile on his face while returning to the stage was very sweet. It was a lovely moment! 💗💗”
Unfortunately there are no videos or photos to testify, but Judy said that before the concert, the audience was asked not to photograph or film, too bad !!
And then, this beautiful thing also happened, the guys, since there are many Latin-speaking people in the audience, dedicated the beautiful song EL TRISTE performed only with piano accompaniment.
I really like this song and I think the guys really had a nice thought and I think the audience was happy.
A nice comment from Ticketmaster also from Atlanta!
Outstanding voice
Atlanta Symphony Hall – Atlanta
This is the real song. Exceptional voices and great repertoire to complement. Highly recommended. No modern computer or any other trick can simulate these great rumors! An evening of absolute pleasure!
Unfortunately these days, we have all seen the disasters that Hurricane Ian caused in Fort Myers, where the Il Volo concert was to take place on October 4th.
A real disaster for so many people who have lost their homes and even their lives! For this reason, the concert was canceled.
But our guys with a heart of gold, and all their staff, are not insensitive to what happened and therefore this wonderful initiative was born, that you are surely all familiar with:
In partnership with VNUE, Inc. we have decided to live stream our next concert at FLA Live Arena (Sunrise, FL) on October 9th, 2022, at 8:15 EST, via VNUE’s StageIt platform.
As a tribute to those who lost their lives in Ft. Myers and in the surrounding areas, and for all the families whose lives are destroyed and need help desperately, we decided to partner with the Red Cross, and with VNUE, to livestream the concert and donate the proceeds in support of the victims of Hurricane Ian.
“Our first show ever in the United States was in Florida at the beginning of our career and we have the most wonderful memories performing for our Florida audience. Seeing the videos and pictures of the devastation hurricane Ian left behind we felt strongly compelled to give back to the people of Florida and their communities. We are excited to team up with VNUE, FLA Live Arena and the Red Cross to bring our live performance, produced by Live Nation, to the world for the benefit of the victims of hurricane Ian.”
The concert will be available for streaming exclusively on StageIt.com. You may register on StageIt in advance, and purchase “Notes” which you may use to virtually attend the show. The minimum ticket price is $30 (300 Notes), but we encourage to donate above and beyond the base price of the ticket. The five highest donations will receive special prizes from us, such as signed set lists or other special memorabilia items. To register and purchase to view the livestream, you should visit this link >> https://bit.ly/IlVololivestream
During the livestream, you may interact with one another, and with us using the chat feature on StageIt.
Ok guys, we’re glad you’re all fine, a big sigh of relief.
Our love and our prayers go up for all the people who have suffered from the hurricane.
We are all so proud of you, your gesture does you a lot of honor and confirms the great heart of Ignazio, Gianluca and Piero. Thank you guys!! ❤❤❤
Before saying goodbye, I want to show you this nice video review of the Atlantic City concert. A beautiful review by Elena Worton, a really nice job that I’m sure you will like.
Thanks Pat for finding it for me and highlighting this beautiful video !!
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
We have posted about the Boston concert, but time runs fast and Il Volo is unstoppable.
On September 23rd there was a concert at ATLANTIC CITY, Borgata Casino Hotel but once again, someone who was present that evening, will talk to you soon in another post and in an exhaustive way about the concert, and so I’ll go ahead.
September 25: OXON HILL, MGM Theater
You know well that to write you these posts, I scan the various pages, taking here and there, where there are beautiful videos and photos and I try to put together the whole event.
This time I found few things, but then I saw what Joanna Asha Goclawska posted, whom I thank infinitely for her beautiful photos and her short but intense videos.
Thanks Joanna, great job !!
IF I CAN DREAM
SURRENDER
LIBIAM DE LIETI CALICI
GRANDE AMORE
What can I say, Joanna did a really good reportage, and I also really enjoyed reading the short comment that accompanied her photos and videos of the concert:
“Il Volo, an Italian pop operatic trio. About 3 months ago, I heard a song on the internet that I liked very much, so I searched on Google for the singers and found out about Il Volo and the next concert. I liked the concert!
Great trio with great vocals and a sense of humor!”
And here she is Joanna, on the night of the concert at the MGM Theater !!
Then I also found this short video of the beginning of the concert and I wanted to post it, to make you feel the excitement of the first moments of the concert, when Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca appear on stage ………. indescribable joy !!
ECSTASY OF GOLD
And what about these two beautiful photos posted by çmas2350?
In this beautiful shot there is sweetness, affection, tenderness, all in one photo !!
The comment was: “My mom almost had a heart attack.”
And in this photo, there is joy, hilarity, amazement !!
And since you enjoyed reading Ticketmaster’s comment, I am posting another one, which I really enjoyed.
“This for us is the second concert of IL VOLO, and we were blown away again. How can three young guys have so much talent?
They sing operatic, pop, rock and classic love songs with equal perfection and with no need for amps, synths or other gimmicks (harmony is so good, they wouldn’t even need an orchestra behind them, even if musicians with whom they travel are excellent themselves).
I’ve never been an opera fan because I felt like I was screaming at the top of my lungs. But their voices are like velvet, and their version of Nessun Dorma is incomparable (in fact, their version of any song is unmatched, Frank Sinatra has to think ‘I wish I could sing MY WAY so well’).
They are also so nice and really know how to put on a show. No one in the audience ever leaves an IL VOLO concert disappointed. Please let me know when they get back here.”
There is nothing to add, only that the next stop will be RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL !!
Daniela🤗
Credit to owners of all photos and videos.
Come in and share the love of life, friends and Il Volo!
