An email from Jane (MaryJane). Posted with permission.
Allene, Mary B. and Jane. I forget the guys names
Dear Marie,
Hope you and Michelle made it home safe and sound. I so enjoyed finally meeting both of you! You both are gems and we are so lucky to have you running the wonderful web site. Thank you for all you do for us! Marie, I CAN NOT WAIT to hear more about your.. (intentionally removed by Marie).. you know who and… (same here)… You are one lucky gal!
Suzy’s friend, Chris, Suzy, Laura, Allene
Here are a few pictures from our weekend. It was so special from start to finish. Meeting more Flight Crew members was so fun…finally putting faces with names we have become familiar with on-line. Truly some of the nicest women we will ever know…and all have such GOOD TASTE IN MUSIC!!
Allene, Mary B, Marie, Jane, Dorothy
The concert was SO beautiful! The words have all been said as I read all the different reviews of the previous concerts on this tour. There just are not enough words in the English languageto say all I would love to say about these three special young men. Those here on this site know exactly what I mean. This was the FIRST concert for Allene which brought me joy just watching HER as she experienced the magic we all feel when we see them in person! I was able to talk with Barbara and Mrs. Ginoble as we stood in line waiting our turn to see the guys. The Meet and Greet afterward went by quickly, but I got my hug from all three…AND they remembered us from the MOA when they saw the small posters Mary B. had made for them to sign for us. Gianluca said right away, “Oh yeah, you were in Minneapolis!” Warmed our hearts! My final hug was from Ignazio who was wearing a cologne that lingered on my blouse ALL NIGHT LONG!! Pure HEAVEN!!
Carol and Linda
IL VOLO will always be remembered for being First Class, World Class Entertainment AND First Class Human Beings! They are simply the best!
Jane
***
Jane, It was great fun meeting and having dinner with all of you! I like you so well that I forgive you for smelling Ignazio. ~Marie
For me, IL VOLO, Our Guys, are truly Angels All Around…
…the guys ~ angels of kindness, love, sweet humor, authenticity
…their fans ~ angels of love, friendship, anticipation, excitement
…IL VOLO’s entourage, their angels ~
whispering in our ears, sparkling in our eyes, cooing in our hearts
…IL VOLO’s music ~ how can a single note be so rich, vibrant, soaring?
how does their harmony blend like birds swooping in unison?
perhaps every molecule of air bursts into song with them!
Squisitamente belissimo!**
The IL VOLO effect? ~
discovering our wings, we are transported, uplifted, soaring in ecstasy!
2014 Saratoga, the Mountain Winery, Connie’s and my road trip, my parents’ 60th wedding anniversary was rich with angels in all shapes, all forms, all moments. So this is my story, not an official Flight Crew blog. I’m that person who loves Einstein’s quote,”There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” So, as you read this, expect a miracle… or two.
I realize now that the angels were on board before our trip ever started.
If you’re curious for details, my expanded story, with angel winks, found money, Carnegie Hall, and more is on my Reflections Page,
~ Connie was a fantastic travel buddy. Easy-going, interesting, expressive as needed, and good ole’ pirate humor! Together we soared with the tunes and supported each other’s heartfelt experiences of The Guys.
~ Elaine was a treasure to get to know. Tour-guide par excellence in San Francisco, exchanging IL VOLO concert experiences, and sharing her spunky, fun true self.
~ While waiting for our menus on the patio at Florentine Trattoria, I mistook two ladies for our dinner company. Turns out they were headed to see IL VOLO, too, so Mary Ellen and Carol joined us. Mary Ellen seems potential Flight Crew material, and her friend Carol now understands that there are thousands of us just as fanatical about the IL VOLO mystique as Mary Ellen! 😉
~ Once in The Mountain Winery parking lot, we swapped stories with several IL VOLOvers, including Sharon and Patty.
~ Delighted to meet up with Vicki, Lauren, Gerri and her friend, we shared hugs, photos, and IL VOLO appreciation. Hoping for more in the future!
~ The biggest surprise was meeting Agnes and Marisse from Guatemala! What sweethearts, and talk about enthusiasm… traveling to another continent for 3 days of concerts!
Thanks, Elaine, for posting all the great photos!
~ My parents and sister and her husband loved the concert! IL VOLO’s sweet, fun, cute hearts extra-animated my sister. So now she knows… it’s not “just” that they sing more incredibly than anyone we know! 😉
~ The next day, at my parents’ 60th wedding anniversary celebration, I hooked my iPhone to their TV and brought an IL VOLO tribute into their living room with “L’amore e’ …amare l’amore” [Love Is… Love Love] by and with Toto Cutugno. (The video is in my expanded story.) Mom and Dad so enjoyed this among many loving touches!
And the concert… Holy Moly!
Oh my gosh! The closest I’ve ever been is the dress circle (first row balcony), and those two concerts were heavenly! But this… this was our view of the stage… third row aisle with no one in front of us!
Seeing:
…Ignazio motioning just an inch more volume to his mic.
…Piero smiling with pleasure at the crowd.
…Noticing Gianluca’s gentle hands.
Experiencing:
…The excitement in the young lady Gian sang to.
…A moment of Piero, Gianluca, and Ignazio each looking into my eyes and me into theirs.
…Seeing Gianluca’s eyes particularly sparkly at the end of the concert.
…As the concert was ending, going up to the stage and clasping Gianluca’s hand.
And still, whether I’m in the most distant seat from the stage,
at home in front of my computer,
or happily singing along with an IL VOLO tune,
IL VOLO’s music uplifts my heart into new realms of joy because…
So much love, joy, harmony, fun, celebration! I think I sat on the edge of my seat the entire concert, taking in every note, every smile, every nuance. We were flying high with IL VOLO Love!
And then… our Meet & Greet!
OK, there were aspects that could have been better (it was a dark space for photos, they were rushed, I could feel the stress of the gentleman moving us along).
Yet none of that colored my brief moments with the guys.
I had made a card for each, told them amazing things:
~ How Divine Grace angels had spoken to me of the soul group “Truth Through Music”, how the angels proclaimed “music is the breath of God”, and still more treasured words about IL VOLO!
~ About healings which came through their music.
~ About the day Ignazio’s tweet inspired me to write a multimedia book, IL VOLO: The Synergy of Love.
~ About my gratitude for their commitment to Truth and goodness, standing with their Venezuelan brothers and sisters.
In turn, I looked into each of our angel’s eyes, handed him the card, and said “Promise me you’ll read this. There’s something special in there.” Each one gave me a wonderful hug ~ with Ignazio, only after he said to me “Please!” Oh my Yes, Please! I so did not mean to be rude. I just had waited so long to share these angelic insights. I had to deliver these words of wonder!
Then Gianluca gave me a gentle kiss and a hug.
The photo was snapped, and I was left in awe of such an evening!
~ Jeanine DuBois, 2014 June 6, Saratoga, The Mountain Winery
My sisters (Carol and Debbie) and I Took off for Friday’s concert on Tuesday. It’s a seven hour drive so we decided to take a short vacation and tour D.C. while there. Leelee flew in from Florida and met us there. First night was dinner with Michele. You know, we have emailed or Skyped or phoned each other almost daily for over a year and have never met still…hearing Michele’s voice coming out of the person standing in front of me took some getting use to! Spent a few more days touring and having fun in DC, but what you really want to know about is the Boys!
Before the Concert:
We arrived really early at Wolf Trap. In the parking lot we could hear music. After we parked I snuck toward the back of the theatre. Just to the front side of the stage. There was Gianluca rehearsing. I was eventually joined by Debbie and Leelee. We stood there quietly behind a post for about 15 minutes. Finally Wolf Trap security spotted us, looked at my Flight Crew lanyard and said, “I see you have backstage passes” Not wanting to lie to the man I crossed my fingers behind my back and said, “uh-huh”. So he said, “still, you can’t stand here during the final sound check” and led us out to where we were close, but couldn’t see. We were still pretty happy until Il Volo security showed up. Our badges didn’t fool him and we were asked to leave. Shucks!
When Michele arrived we rode a tram from the parking lot to the ticket window to get our tickets. On the tram a woman in front of us turned around spotted our badges and said, “I follow the Il Vollo Flight Crew! What are your names?” We told her and she said she knew who we were and seemed pleased to have met us. Hello Jean, Renee and Judy. I didn’t meet any other badges but my sister did.
The Concert:
I have to begin this part by saying that Ignazio did not sing “Ti Voglio Tanto Bene”. He mentioned it, but didn’t say why he didn’t sing it. (You’ve got three more chances Sweetie!! Do it!)
Ignazio – That wonderful “edgy” voice made me melt into my seat! You have all heard about the many fun, silly and endearing things he does during a performance, so I won’t repeat them though there were plenty. You’ll have to see for yourself. Ok! One thing! He had a blast with the drums.
At one point he sang part of Maria to the woman seated directly in front of me!
I don’t care what you say! Ignazio is the most handsome man on the planet!
Piero – This young man looks all around at his audience. He looks directly at as many people as he can with the most genuine and sincere smile you can imagine. He sings while reaching out to you figuratively and literally. His voice…Oh his voice! It was powerful enough to shake the Wolf Trap rafters and gentle enough to make me tremble.
Gianluca – Soooo Smoooth! When he sings in that deep baritone you just hold your hand over your heart and swoon! He did Elvis better than Elvis!
My sister remarked that they sound the same as on their CD. Meaning no studio backing and blending, no re-takes. But really Carol, (an Il Volo Concert novice) there were many wonderful differences! A new pause here, a change of tempo there, etc., etc.
The man sitting next to me kept shouting, “O Sole Mio”. I would shout “No”. The man must have thought I hated the song. I knew it was their signature song and would mean the “Painfully Beautiful” end to this extraordinary evening.
The Meet and Greet:
The M&G was held in a large room beneath the stage. We were all lined up waiting and watching. I have to say that everyone I saw took some time with the Boys before staff ushered/pried them out.
I happened to notice Barb and Mrs. Ginoble sitting off to the side. I walked over and actually had a conversation with Barb. She does speak English and understood everything I said. At least she said she did. I thanked her for answering my emails and doing me a favor a while back. I asked if I could take her picture and she said only if I was in it too. So I said ok and she handed my camera to Mrs. Ginoble who took our picture. Then Barbara took the camera and Mrs. Ginoble and I got a picture together. I’m going to keep those to myself for a while. They then let me take this picture of them both. What gracious ladies! Mrs. G is a tiny thing she actually made the first move to hug me. Barb hugged me too and thanked me for helping to promote Il Volo. Oh Yeah! She knows who we are!
It was finally my turn with the Boys! You will all be happily surprised to know that I behaved myself. I hugged and kissed each one of them on the cheek and thanked them all for being alive in my world!
Yeah that’s me being deliriously happy. No, my hair doesn’t always look like this. With 97% humidity in an outdoor theater, in the rain I tend to take on the look of a French Poodle.
I pulled my Flight Crew Badge from it’s lanyard and they all signed it!!!
As you know, four of your Flight Crew Board members are meeting in Chicago. The other one, like some of you, can’t make a concert this year. I explained that to the boys. As you can see it made Ignazio sad!
Yes, this one’s real.
Then Ignazio got down on one knee in front of me. I’ll give you three guesses as to what he was doing down there:
1) He was proposing marriage. 2) He was begging me not to grab him and run. 3) He was taking a picture of my tattoo.
I’m hoping for #1 at the next concert. No, I didn’t tell any of you about my tattoo. I figured you all thought I was crazy enough anyway. Barb also took a picture of it. I know there will never be a reason I’m sorry I have it. What are they going to do – Kick puppies? Next year I plan to tattoo my entire body with “Il Volo” – Oh, not really!
OMG did I go on or what? A couple more things then I’ll let you all drool some more over those pictures of THEM!
My sisters are great travel companions as always. They put up with a lot of Il Voloing. At the end of our time there they adopted the loving and funny Leelee and wanted to trade me for her. Yes they did! I send you a big red banner of love Leelee!
Looking forward to meeting Elaine and Kelly as well as some of you. Michele, see you in a few days for our three concert road trip!
Ineke, I’ve got your shirt.
Bottom Line:
If you haven’t attended your concert yet you need to know that it is worth every dollar you spent, every hour it took you to get toThem and every night before and after you will spend without sleep! Those of you who have already gone know this.
If you are unable to attend Their concert this year, you MUST go next year! You must see and hear Them for yourselves!
Il Volo in Concert – Los Angeles – Greek Theater – June 7, 2014
Have you ever loved something to point where it hurt ? You know this tiny amount of heaven will only last for 2 ½ hours and then you go back to your everyday life – “reality”. You wish it would go on forever and that hurts. So I am using the title of a song Il Volo sang in their first album (see title) to describe the concert last night. So many times the singing was so beautiful that I was in tears – music that was “Painfully Beautiful”. Why did it have to end? Well, here is a review.
First, the boys, the guys, THE MEN – (Piero can’t possibly be turning 21- why do I feel so old ? ). If ever a fan might be worried that their singing might be less than what it should be, just remember the years of training and solid family life-style they have had. This amounts to such a tremendous work ethic that I can’t imagine they will ever let us down – if they have anything to do with it. This was a perfect example of that work ethic. The vocal work was always right on the mark. The details such as HUGE BREATH support, perfect vowel shapes (watch a video of Gianluca for a lesson on perfect vowels), beautifully supported high notes (Ignazio never fails); pure vocal projection and power without the usual pop singer screaming (Hooray for Piero). This year, more than ever in the years since I have been seeing them in concert, they have shown such passion and emotion and it was laid out there on the stage for us AND we could feel it – WHEW ! Feel your heart skip a beat !I will discuss the personal side of the boys later. Pardon my pride of ownership: “My boys were absolutely on the money”. This was 2 ½ hours of artistically superb singing !
This was the first stop on their tour that used full-live orchestra of about 30 players. Most other concerts will use five instrumentalists and pre-recorded orchestra track on computer.
The program was sort of a potluck of their favorites from the past years:
Act One
Un Amore Cosi Grande
Granda
Tous les Visages de l’Amour
We are Love
No Puede Ser (Piero’s solo)
Caruso (done as a trio this time)
Ti Voglio Tanto Bene (Ignazio’s solo)
(from the very first PBS show)
This Time ( from first season)
I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You
(brand new Elvis arrangement for Gianluca )
Mama (from first season)
Act Two
Can you Feel the Love tonight
Per Te
Memory (Ignazio’s solo)
Angel
Il Canto
Smile
Night and Day (Gianluca’s solo)
Beautiful Day
Maria (fro three)
Non Ti Scordar Di Me (Piero’s solo)
Surrender/Torna a Surriento
Il Mondo
———-
Encores
El Triste
O Solo Mio/Now or Never
Long-term fans will see music from three seasons mixed together and it was great.
My favorites; The new arrangement of the Elvis song: “I can’t Help Falling in Love You”. I like this song and Gianluca wrapped it in a blanket of beautiful passion. His maturity is showing more and more. His “Night and Day” was even better than last year- superb. Ignazio stopped the show with his wonderful “ Ti Voglio Tanto Bene” (they joked about how the last time he sang that song (three years ago) he was 75 pounds heavier. He did look good last night. He also was showing more maturity in singing. Piero just wiped up the whole place with his powerhouse solo “No Puede Ser” . They talked about him training to do an opera role later this year. This young man is serious. For the full ensemble pieces my favorite this time was “Il Canto” which Ignazio accidently announced as “ Il Volo” – whoops ! Then would come my main favorite: “Il Mondo” But they were all so good.
Staging and crew: Well, the boys may have been nearly perfect in their work but the crew that backed them up was not. The stage crew at the Greek was very sloppy in the stage set-up. The general lighting was poorly timed (to the music) and the worst tech problem was the follow spot-operators. I know some of you may think this is silly but when you are in the audience and your favorite singer starts a song and he is totally in the dark for two or three phrases that is terrible. It was so bad that the boys made mention of it several times in the show. At one point all three spots were to be on each boy but Ignazio was in the dark and he was the one scheduled to talk. So he said, in his typical light-hearted fashion, that “electricity is so expensive that we cannot afford to have lights” (huge audience laugh ! ) (power to you Ignazio – the audience was very pleased he said that). There were other times that made a lot of us feel that spot operators needed to be fired.
The Il Volo sound system was tied into the Greek Theater sound system which was way overloaded to bass sounds (like a rock band) and that drown the boys’ sounds once in a while – fortunately not too often. I do get annoyed because our boys’ work very hard and they need to depend on a good partnership with tech and crew and when that does not happen it hurts the boys’ presentation and the entire show.
Atmosphere: The tech stuff aside, there was so much that was wonderful about this concert. I don’t usually like open-air theaters but that evening the sky was clear, the moon was out and the weather was beautiful. The acoutics in the Greek work very well for an open-air place. I was about 8 rows back and the viewing was great. The orchestra was very fine indeed.
My favorite thing (aside from the singing) was seeing how these boys have matured since I saw them last November. They are engaging the audience more and more and their between-songs banter does not feel a little rigid anymore but very natural and really funny this time. I mean really funny. In the past Gianluca would tend to stay out of the clowing around but this time he engaged just as much as the others. It warmed my heart to see this funny, loving banter and a little horse-play going on and the audience loved it and loved them. One scene: Ignazio was fooling around between songs messing the hair of the guitar player and then the pianist and then he went to mess the hair of Gianluca and WOW – you don’t mess Gianluca’s hair ! So they had a pretend hair fight. We all laughed outloud. Then they turned around and sang just perfectly.
One little cute and funny story: during the singing of the Lion King song, “Can you Feel the Love Tonight” Ignazio made a mistake with the text – the words. After the song was done he owned up to it in a funny way telling the story of how they saw the show on Broadway and he went back to his hotel room and could not sleep because the words “ Hakuna Matata” were going through his mind. That was the reason he goofed the words on the song – “Hakuna Matata”.
End result: the audience (about 4000) was totally transported into a heavenly realm of musical artistry and it was obvious from the pre-show and intermission conversation that the people came loaded for love. They already knew it was going to be great. I had several meetings during my time there: There were three different groups of fans from the Flight Crew that I ran across, both before the show and after. Some I was expecting and the others were a suprise to me. All in all 14 new friends and Flight Crew fans.
Personal side: The other meeting was at 3:30pm in the afternoon when I had set up to meet backstage with Barbara, Piero, Gianluca and Ignazio as best they could fit it in. I arrived just as they were in sound check and rehearsal. It was very interesting to watch them do their rehearsal work. Barbara and the boys were very welcoming and warm but the time was cut short because they had added another radio interview to be done before concert. I did have a little more time with Piero and wished him a happy birthday. Ignazio was so sweet to mention the flowers for his grandfather’s funeral. Gianluca waved at me (on the side of the stage) but was busy with the orchestra working out Elvis. I must say that the term “Flight Crew” got mentioned by them here and there during the talk. I tell you we are becoming a large family.
