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!
The U.S. tour continues at a fast pace with great success among the public who are enthusiastic about the concerts and the high level but also very familiar performance that Il Volo offers.
March 7
The concert was in Jacksonville, Florida in the Center for The Performing Arts.
A nice summary of the songs proposed by Alex Rodriguez radio.
This beautiful video was posted with these beautiful words:
“Family is so very important when you love them! My mom has gotten up there in age, she turns 81 this year. These are scary times but also precious. You never know how much more time you have left with them. I saw the ad for the Il Volo concert and I didn’t think twice about getting tickets for my mom and my sister so we could all go together! Jacksonville was a bit of a drive from Orlando but well worth it! It was a beautiful concert and we had an amazing time! We will treasure these.”
March 8
The concert was in Hollywood/Davie, Florida at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
This video which summarizes a large part of the concert was published by Tannia Martinez with these beautiful words:
“From the electrifying stage presence to the soul-stirring harmonies, Il Volo’s World Tour 2025 at Seminole Hard Rock Live was pure magic! ✨🎤 Experiencing it from our perspective—the energy, the passion, and the incredible voices—made it a night to remember! Did you feel the goosebumps when they hit those high notes? Let’s relive this breathtaking concert together! 🎶💫”
As for the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel venue I won’t suggest any other videos, because that evening our Pat was at the concert and she will give you a report of the evening, her impressions, her photos and videos, so we’re waiting for you Pat!! 🥰
Il Volo with Nicola Liguori, film producer.
This article published byAVENTURA AMERICANA is also nice.
The acclaimed Italian trio Il Volo, composed of tenors Ignazio Boschetto and Piero Barone, and baritone Gianluca Ginoble, arrived on their 2024-2025 world tour at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida, before a sold-out audience that enjoyed a two-hour show with a live orchestra. The show, with great vocal display, featured more than 25 songs and classics by the group such as “Grande amore”, as well as some of the most recent tracks from the album Ad Astra, from which “Capolavoro” stands out, presented at the last edition of the Sanremo Song Festival.
The show, which began with the song “Nelle tue mani” from the film “Gladiator”, allowed Il Volo to shine as a trio, singing classics of Italian music (“Torna a Surriento”, “Il mondo”, “La donna è mobile”, “O sole mio”, “Miserere”, “Funiculì, funiculà” and “Libiamo ne’ lieti calici” by Verdi and from the opera Traviata), but also gave them the opportunity to shine individually, performing songs as soloists to highlight the personal tastes of each singer. Ignazio delighted the audience with “Memory”, Gianluca with “The music of the night” and Piero with the arias “E lucevan le stelle” and “No puede ser”. The solos go back to their beginnings, when they performed as soloists on the Italian television show “Ti lascio una canzone” in 2009 and later formed a trio on the show. Eventually, the group signed a contract with Geffen Records (part of the Interscope group) and released their first album in 2010.
The performers, who alternated between English, Italian and Spanish during the evening, jokingly mentioned that their brotherhood bond is almost like a marriage and took the opportunity to have the audience congratulate Ignazio, who recently tied the knot with beauty queen and now Italian-Venezuelan businesswoman Michelle Bertolini. The show also featured two compositions by Ennio Morricone: “Se” from the film “Cinema Paradiso” and “The Ecstasy of Gold” from the film “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” and a tribute to Latin America through the song “El Triste” by José José, which was performed by the trio in 2013 during the tribute to the Mexican singer at the Billboard Latin Music Awards. The concert ended with a powerful interpretation of “Nessun dorma” (Puccini) from the opera Turandot, which received a standing ovation from all those present. The 2024-2025 world tour, with which Il Volo celebrates its 15 years of successful international career, took the performers to Japan and then to their native Italy. After performing in Chicago, New York and Boston, among other cities, and finishing the dates in North America, the tour will continue through South America and the rest of Europe.
March 10
The concert was in Clearwater, Florida, at Ruth Eckerd Hall.
This summary video is very nice and the words that accompany it are very beautiful.
“Last night, we had the absolute pleasure of witnessing IL Volo live at Ruth Eckerd Hall, and what an unforgettable experience it was! From the moment Gianluca Ginoble, Piero Barone, and Ignazio Boschetto took the stage, their presence was electrifying. Their voices, blending seamlessly in perfect harmony, filled the venue with such richness and emotion that it was impossible not to be swept away.
IL Volo has an incredible ability to transport audiences with their soaring vocals and passionate performances. Their rendition of classic Italian songs, operatic arias, and contemporary favorites showcased their vocal mastery and deep connection to the music. The energy in the room was palpable, with standing ovations after nearly every song. Their interactions with the audience added warmth and charm, making the concert feel personal and intimate despite the grandeur of their performance. For those who may not know, IL Volo was formed in 2009 when the three young tenors met on the Italian talent show Ti Lascio Una Canzone. From there, they quickly gained international fame, becoming known as one of the most beloved operatic pop groups in the world. Their music blends classical opera with modern melodies, appealing to audiences of all ages. Over the years, they have collaborated with legendary artists, performed on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, and won multiple awards, solidifying their place in music history. Hearing them live is truly a magical experience. Their ability to convey deep emotion through song, whether it’s the passion of Grande Amore, the nostalgia of O Sole Mio, or the breathtaking power of Nessun Dorma, left the audience in awe. It was a night of pure musical brilliance, a celebration of love, life, and the timeless beauty of Italian music. If you ever get the chance to see IL Volo in concert, don’t hesitate—it’s a night you’ll never forget!”
Il Volo with Cecile.
And so three more concerts have ended, but there are still many more to go, the road is long, next stop Atlanta, Georgia!!
See you soon: Daniela 🤗
Credit to owners of all photos and videos.
Come in and share the love of life, friends and Il Volo!
