After eight long years the time had come for me to see the guys again!! I was supposed to go to Las Vegas in 2020 to see them and of course we all know that Covid hit and they canceled their last three shows. I was brokenhearted but understood why they had to leave. Then when they came back in 2022 I had just had back surgery and didn’t think I was up to going to a concert so I missed that one too. In early December 2024 I had my second back surgery but nothing was gonna stop me this time! I just had to see them!
My daughter-in-law, Sara, and I had a great flight to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on Friday, March 7, to attend the Hollywood/Davie concert the next evening on March 8. We stayed at the Atlantic Hotel and Spa right on the beach which was glorious! After an evening dinner in their restaurant I tried to relax but I was pretty excited.
View from our balcony….the beach was THAT close!
Late Saturday morning we walked around the corner behind our hotel and ate brunch at a quaint little bakery called Archibald’s Village Bakery. Most of the outdoor tables were full so I asked a lady if anybody else was sitting at her table and she said no so I sat down and introduced myself. Miriam was the nicest lady from the East Coast. We told her why we were there and she knew of IL VOLO and had even seen them in concert once. We had a great time talking and people watching.
The afternoon sound check was happening at 4:15 pm so we went back to our room, got ready and took an Uber to the Seminole Hard Rock casino and hotel. I have never attended a sound check before so I did not know what to expect.
The Hard Rock is huge and you had to go all the way through the smoky casino to get to the venue. My wonderful daughter-in-law wheeled me in a wheelchair from the door we came in at all the way over to the venue. I am able to walk but not really long distances yet. She is asthmatic and the smoke bothers her a lot so I was very grateful for what she did for me.
I got to go in first at the sound check which was very nice! When we went in, we were told to sit only in certain rows in the middle about four rows back from the stage.
I started to look around and I could see Gianluca standing off to the left of stage with his girlfriend, Claudia. They were laughing and talking with Celine. Piero and Ignazio came out on stage first. Piero looked the most happy of the two. I think Ignazio was still feeling a bit under the weather and had coughed a time or two. When Gianluca came to the stage he did not smile or even look out at the audience. I thought it was quite odd. Piero came to the edge of stage and asked us where we were from and was very happy and smiling.
They sang a few songs and Ignazio did his water bottle flip for us. When the sound check was over Ignazio left first and then Piero. Gianluca said “Grazie” after we applauded and walked off the stage. No photos or videos were allowed during the sound check.
I decided to ditch the wheelchair after we came out of there and did the best I could walking around with my cane chair that I also brought with me. We then walked away from the casino to an area where there was a waterfall feature coming straight out of the ceiling with music playing. It was awesome!
That whole part of Hard Rock was very beautiful with live plants growing up the walls and lots of shops.
Then we walked down the hallway to Rise Kitchen & Deli where we got something to eat for dinner. We were unable to attend the laser light show that they had outside at the huge guitar shaped hotel. We saw some of it as we were coming into town Friday evening.
The showtimes were 7:00 and 7:30 pm. We were just finishing eating about 7:15 but I did not want to wait for the last light show and get that close to the concert show time then have to walk that far back. Besides, Beverley Foster and I were supposed to meet up before the show started! 😄
We got into the venue and found our seats. I had an aisle seat in the fifth row so I stood up in the aisle looking for Beverley. A lady approached me and I said, “Hi, are you Beverley?” She said no and told me her name was Adele. She’s a member of the Flight Crew and reads everything we post. She said she never comments though but thanked us for everything we do to get news of the guys to everyone. She saw that I had put my seat number on one of the posts so Beverley could find me and kept watching for me to arrive so she could come and talk to me. Her daughter and granddaughter had accompanied her to the concert and they accused her of stalking me! 😂 I told her I was glad she did! Adele was a very sweet lady. I had to have a picture with her and a hug. I told her to make sure she comments now and then on some of the posts.
I sat down and texted Beverley and asked if she was there and she told me yes! I asked her to stand up so I could see her because I knew where her seat was. She stood up and made her way over to me. We had a nice little chat, I hugged her and we also took a picture together. Another sweet lady! Meeting these gals sure made my night. I turned around to my daughter-in-law and said “Dang, I’m famous!” 🤣
The concert started soon after I had met these lovely ladies and sat down. There is nothing like hearing the guys again at a live concert …. very powerful voices with that wonderful orchestra. It just touched my soul. The people in the audience were actually singing along to some of the songs and I happily joined them!
Please let me stop right here and apologize ahead of time for the recording quality of my videos. I was so excited and trying to video and watch the guys at the same time that I didn’t realize I had strayed a bit now and then. I also apologize for singing along with Grande Amore Amore and Hallelujah and maybe drowning out the guys. I couldn’t help myself! Some videos I could not upload due to copyright issues. I did make some shorter because of that.
Also the short videos would not show a preview so I am also sorry for that.
I also always try to video the guys interacting between the songs. Those words and actions are just as precious to me as the music they perform.
The opening song
NOW WE ARE FREE (from “Il Gladiatore”)
(Click on the photo below to enlarge it.)
GRANDE AMORE
After singing OperaOpera (the video was blocked ☹) the guys talked about their 16 years together.
Every time I hear Gianluca hit that high note in The Music of the Night I gasp. So powerful! I did it the first time I heard it and every time since. You can hear me in the video along with my daughter-in-law. 😍
I could not help myself and didn’t have any photos of Gianluca while he was singing this song. So I took screen shots of the video and made my own collage!
After Cecile’s solo the guys reappeared with a change in wardrobe. The most notable was Gianluca wearing a velvet jacket in addition to the sparkly boot type shoes he was wearing. Piero changed his shirt and jacket, but Ignazio did not.
Everyone had their phones lit before the guys sang Hallelujah.
HALLELUJAH
There were many standing ovations after they finished their songs.
Hallelujah was one such song. The guys poured their hearts out into that song in memory of all their dear ones that have departed this earthy realm…..especially for their dear Barbara Vitali. It brings tears to my eyes just watching it again.
The concert was over before I knew it. I am so grateful we were allowed to take photos and videos because I would never be able to remember everything that I saw and heard on that wonderful night!
I enjoyed the concert very much and so did my daughter-in-law, Sara. She was clapping and cheering for the guys as much as I did! 😊 Every time Ignazio would hit one of his high notes she would look at me and grin!
Recap video of the concert – I give credit to ignazioboschetto_italy for this wonderful video!
In this video you’ll see a short water bottle being flipped up onto the grand piano. Ignazio did this several times in a row at one point during the sound check. We applauded his skill! 😊 I am glad someone captured that as we were not allowed to photograph or record anything.
Meet and greet
After the concert, Sara and I went and stood in line for the meet and greet. I wanted to wait toward the end of the line so maybe I wouldn’t be rushed but as usual you always are once you get in to see the guys.
The room we were lined up in was very large but the room that we actually went in to meet the guys was very small, almost cramped. Piero was the first one I saw and then Ignazio and then Gianluca. Piero shook my hand as I walked in. He is really such a sweetheart.
I brought a note and a little something for them in an organza bag. The very first concert I attended in Chicago 2017 I had silicone wristbands made with the date and the venue on it and gave each one of them a couple. So the next concert I was going to attend in Las Vegas in 2020 I had wristbands made. The last three shows were canceled that year so we never got to go and I still have all of those wristbands. I did not have them made this time but I thought why not give them the ones to “the concert that never was”? I wore the wristband from Chicago and the one from Las Vegas that had the Pearl Theater written on it. I pointed to the one from Las Vegas and said, “For the concert that never was.” Ignazio touched the wristband and said, “Ah, the Pearl Theater!” and took a pause. He remembered!
I went and stood between Gianluca and Ignazio to have my picture taken. As I left, I looked at Gianluca and told him to be good and he smiled! I was handed a signed a poster as we walked out.
My daughter-in-law, Sara, told me that she told Piero that she loved his voice and he thanked her. She told Ignazio that he was funnier this concert than the last time in Chicago. He also thanked her. And she told Gianluca that she loved his sparkly shoes. He smiled, thanked her and winked.
We got acquainted with two ladies while we were in line for the meet and greet, Jennifer and her mother, Arlyn. As we were leaving, they walked out with us and offered to take us back to our hotel! They drove in for the concert and said they were going back the same direction as our hotel. What a sweet and considerate thing to do! We talked all the way back and even took a photo with them before they left to go home.
What a long and wonderful day it had been and certainly one I will never forget! 😀🎶🎤🎵 😍
We certainly met a lot of nice people in Florida…. the lady at the bakery, all the ladies at the concert and even people working in the restaurants and shops. I had fun meeting and talking with all of them!
I want to thank my wonderful daughter-in-law, Sara, for accompanying me on this trip. We have so much fun together. She is truly the daughter I never had and I love her very much! 💖💖💖😘😘😘
I can’t wait for my next IL VOLO concert! I sure wish they would come to Kansas City!
Sending all my love 💗, hugs 🤗 and kisses 😘 to this wonderful Flight Crew!
Patricia Ward a.k.a. pitterpat0
Come in and share the love of life, friends and Il Volo!
