Keepsakes

Keepsakes or rather "things" at times may be seen only as tangible objects that can easily be broken or destroyed. Individuals sometimes look down upon a worn out doll or a beaten up baseball glove because they no longer have any purpose or use. They sit on a shelf collecting dust and serve as hourglasses to show how much time has passed. Keepsakes are much more than the stereotypes bestowed upon them, they are memories of times that once were and offer a free smile when life can at times be cruel. Each keepsake is part of one's story.

Earlier this evening while watching a documentary with my dad about his favorite football team, he would blurt out things here and there that would remind him of something from years past or how he had a certain item that is considered "historical" to the football world. It may not have been my "thing" per say, but I understood what he meant by having certain keepsakes because they serve as a representation of an event or time that is unable to be brought back.

When arriving to our seats at my first Barry concert, we were left two 5 x7 ads promoting Barry's then new Christmas CD, "In the Swing of Christmas." It has always puzzled me how I saved those two small ads though I was not a fan in anyway. Perhaps I kept them for my friend or wanted to make an entry in my life story. Either way, I stuck them in my bag and over a year and a half later one still hangs up on my magnetic board as a reminder of that night and one is in my scrapbook of life along with my ticket stub. Though they may just be pieces of paper that can be ripped as easily as one breathes, they serve as keepsakes of a night I did not realize would change my life.

Over time I have collected far more meaningful and valuable keepsakes such as the Barry autograph I got in person or the photo of Barry shaking my hand, but sometimes it's those small reminders that make you stop and remember just why you're a Barry Manilow fan.

He did it again...

Sitting in my bedroom after a long day of festivities and excitement, I was comforted by the memories I had made only a few hours earlier. I could not help but smile as I recalled that rush of adrenaline that flows through my body when watching Barry work his craft in such a new and exciting way that it seems as though the familiar songs I love, are in fact foreign. With each performance comes a memory I will always cherish and with each memory my love and amazement for the musician and performer Barry is only grows stronger.

I sat there in pure amazement as I watched him, it really is indescribable the feeling that accompanies Barry's performances. It is that feeling I experience when I cannot believe he is actually in front of me when seeing him in concert or elsewhere. Though he was not in front of me in person, the magic he is able to bring forth through his music and his electrifying stage presence, it feels as though he is.

People have always asked me why I would want to see him in concert as often as I do, as he sings the same songs and it all seems the same. The truth is, it is not. With each performance he seems to reinvent familiar songs such as "It's a Miracle" or "This One's For You." To me it is a mystery to how he does it, but when watching the opening medley last night, it felt as though I was seeing him perform those songs for the first time. Perhaps it was the beautiful symphony accompanying him or the occasion he was performing for, but whatever it was it had an impact on me that made me realize why I am truly a fan of his. It always has been and will always be his ability to make you "feel" something. He made those songs into patriotic themes rather than love songs. Each song became a song of hope, something that cannot be easily done with songs such as "Somewhere in the Night."

The moment though that truly took my breath away was "Let Freedom Ring." I have seen videos of him performing that song in the past such as President Clinton's inauguration, but never like this. With the combination of the fireworks encircling the Washington Monument and Barry's compelling patriotic theme, I was truly speechless. I sat there stunned for a few minutes after he had left the stage because the music was just so beautiful and left you thinking for a moment because the message of the song speaks volumes. I believe it was apparent through his performance how thrilled he was to have a whole symphony playing the very notes he wrote and how honored he was to be performing at a place with such symbolic scenary surrounding him.

This was a truly astounding performance that perhaps even made some people look at him again as something else besides some "cheesy romantic." Who knows, but I know that he never ceases to amaze me. Through performances like this I am reminded why his music captured my heart over a year and a half ago. He makes you forget the bad, remember the good, and most of all learn that music will always be a part of you.

Put Your Records On

Today I did something I wish I got to do more often--lay in bed and listen to Barry on my record player. Of course not feeling well was the perfect excuse to lay in bed for hours at a time, but I digress. Hearing his voice radiate from the speakers of my pink record player was such a calming influence that at one point I started to drift off into the land of sleep like a baby may do with a soft lullaby. I felt so at peace...nothing could bother me.

Everytime I listen to my collection of records I always recall the first time I ever got a Barry record which was purely coincidental. I remember I had gone to a thrift store with my mom as she needed to look for something or along those lines and I was wandering around the store when I began to wonder if they had records. So I went around the store searching for even the slightest sign of records when I found a whole aisle towards the back dedicated to the very dusty and out-dated form of music. I stood there looking through each stack meticulously, hoping for some sign of a Barry record. There were certainly a lot of Engelbert Humperdinck and Barbra Streisand records but no Barry. I had almost given up when my eye caught a red cover and when I pulled it out I realized it was "Tryin' To Get the Feeling." The record wasn't in the best condition but I didn't care. I looked at it as if it were covered in gold. At the time I didn't even own a record player, but I had to have it. I bought it with my own money and to this day I still have it, though I have since bought another "Tryin' To Get the Feeling" record in better condition. I will never part with it though as it's part of my story and those things always mean the most.

*The picture is really a picture of my actual record player though "Here Comes the Night" is currently on it. :)*