Weekend in Norfolk

 

Barry Manilow-Brought To You by CVS!

    I had a topic in mind for today's post.  I'll probably use it for next week, though.  I thought it was more important to talk about a concert my wife and I went to last Saturday.

    As much as I like to poke fun of him, I decided that we should take in a Barry Manilow concert at the Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Virginia, last weekend.  Before he died.  I had originally bought tickets for his show that was scheduled in...March? (it's been so long I can't remember).  However, it was rescheduled due to a medical ailment Barry had.  Luckily, I had penned the rescheduled date on our calendar.  Otherwise, I could have very easily forgotten the revised date.

    My memory isn't what it used to be, you know.  I'm not getting any younger.  And that's the point of this post in the first place.

    As we left to go to the concert, my wife asked if I wanted to have dinner first.  I told her no.  We'd have plenty of time because I was sure the concert would be over before dark.

    Well, color me surprised.  Even though, like I said, I often poke fun of him, Barry Manilow put on a very entertaining show.  This was pretty amazing, considering that he's fifteen years older than I.

And his cheeks have a "PSI Warning' label

    Good grief, I need a nap after brushing my teeth and I throw my back out when I fart.  So, even though I'm convinced he lip-synced his way through (my wife is not equally convinced), he showed the energy of a man younger than I.

    NOTE:  Even so, as the concert started, my wife remarked that he walked like an "old Jewish man."  I looked at her and said, "That's because he is an old Jewish man."

    Just an observation:  I have never seen that many walkers, canes, and wheelchairs.

    I could have done without him pumping his hips in a creepy geriatric pantomime, though.  Yes, yes, I know.  Geezers do get it on occasionally.  And then take the rest of the summer off.  But, nobody needed to see that.

"Shall I pump my hips?"

    When he sang my personal favorite, Weekend in New England, I was transported back to 1976.  When, as a young Sailor, I missed my home.  In New England.  Ironically, I was in Norfolk.  Made me a little misty-eyed.

    And then he to had to go ahead and ruin it by pumping his hips again in some sort of sexual Tourettes.

    As the show ended with Copacabana (the hottest spot north of Havana, don'tcha know), Barry walked off the stage while the lights dimmed.  Happy that we had seen what, I think, is his farewell tour, I was also sad.  It looked as if my youth was also walking off the stage.

    On the bright side, the first 1,000 ticketholders were given a hemorrhoid pillow and Ben-Gay gift pak.

    So, we had that going for us.

"Which is nice."

    Next stop on our "Senior Citizen Tour '26":  Tom Jones in October.

"I'll make you a deal, right? 
Ladies, if you don't throw your panties on stage, I won't pump my hips."