credit Paula
There is so much to say but it’s hard to find the words which would do justice to David and the magic of the four concerts I was truly fortunate to attend, thanks in large part to SB. But I’m trying hard to find the words. Right now, as always after seeing David in concert & wondering when or if there will be a next time for me, I find myself in a fog, a feeling of sadness. For some reason, this time is different, because at the same time I feel a sense of peace knowing David is happy & truly content in the decisions he has made.
David’s MKOC Tour is his Christmas gift to his fans which is truly extraordinary. His gracious appreciation of and gratitude to his fans was so obvious in every move, every look, every smile, every word he uttered on stage and at the VIP M&G’s, but more so when he sang. Whether the upbeat, fun songs or the beautiful, heartfelt reverent songs, he poured his all into each & every note. He showed us how he feels about his fans & he takes nothing for granted. This tour, the whole production is so obviously HIS. I believe he knew exactly what he wanted to do and how he wanted to express himself to his fans. He may have had some input from others, but the production is ALL DAVID because it’s all about “giving”. I believe he also wanted, in the only & best way he knows, to give subliminal messages in the songs he chose about our concerns & worries about what he has in store for the future.
The tour opening in Westbury brought back many great memories of CFTH, but those were soon overshadowed by such remarkable performances by David, as if he had been performing non-stop these last two years. His vocals have never sounded so sublime, pitch-perfect and magnificent. SB & I had front row seats directly in front of David. We always describe ourselves as being mesmerized & hypnotized by David, and believe me, by the end of the concert, the audience was! He gave us surprise after surprise. He shared the stage with kids while he read a Christmas poem. He salsa danced around the stage like the Latino he is to his new fun song, Fa-la-la-la. Then before his very beautiful encore of Silent Night, he sang Little Drummer Boy in his low register, ever so softly at first then out of nowhere, he lifted some base drumsticks and proceeded to absolutely blow us away by beating the front of the base drum and dancing from side to side as he beat it like there was no tomorrow! It was David as we have never seen him before! To say we were flabbergasted is an understatement! I don’t think David knew what to expect or how his audience would react to his performance of Little Drummer Boy which is why it was not the encore in Westbury. It was the most exciting & outstanding performance I had ever seen in my life! So far..because of course, he was just getting started.
Irving Plaza was another outstanding performance but on a smaller stage. It was a standing only, mosh type venue. SB & I upgraded our tickets to Venue VIP which only meant standing in the balcony with a better view of the stage. The difference in this concert was the encore which was no surprise. David’s Little Drummer Boy took center stage as the Encore song. A brilliant decision as I am sure we will witness more & more as the tour progresses.
Now on to Turning Stone Casino in Verona which transformed David into the Broadway Star he could easily be. The large stage reminded me of the Las Vegas stages my sister & I saw Elvis perform in many times. I can see David perform in the biggest & most beautiful showrooms in Vegas or on Broadway someday. David surpassed himself in Verona. It was truly magical. The difference between Elvis & David is Elvis had a “crowd” on stage, an orchestra, his band & several background singers. David had four band members, and HIMSELF and needed nothing & no one else. When he came on stage he was bigger than life, filling the stage with his glow. It’s a mystery how he transforms the minute he walks on stage, any stage. This transformation is an unexplainable phenomena which I have only seen in David. What was so different about the stage in the Turning Stone Casino? Perhaps it was the size of the stage, the lighting, or the acoustics? No! It was David. How is it possible to improve perfection? Because that is precisely what David did in Verona. His stage presence was like no one I’ve seen before. His vocals were exquisite. His voice lifted the audience to heights we never knew existed. How does he do it night after night I wondered? Like in the last two concerts, he gave his all in every song reaching out to the audience with his beautiful voice & self. He gave us more surprises after he read his poem with the little girls from the audience when he broke out singing his new fun song again. (The man can D A N C E!). Then he started dancing with one of the little girls!! Such a joy to behold and that little girl will have something to remember forever! The first half was over leaving us anxiously anticipating what he had in store in the second half.
MAGIC! That is what he had in store for us. Every song, full of love & Grace. Then came David’s rendition of Silent Night which is as we know, the most beautiful of any other rendition we have ever heard by anyone, and in Verona he made it even more poignant, reverent & beautiful. All of a sudden through the tears many of us had as he sang, snow started to fall! Real snow! It was like scene out of a movie or a beautiful painting. Looking at David in the center of the stage under the most beautiful lighting & singing this most beautiful song deep from within his heart & soul as the snow fell was the most beautiful sight I have ever seen and I will never forget it. I can still see & feel the deep & profound impact that particular performance had on me. David will never know & even if I were to try to tell him, I would not be able to find the words. I know there were many in the audience who were as affected as I.
credit David’s OS
His Little Drummer Boy in Verona was even more magnificent than you can imagine! Perhaps the large stage made it that much more powerful a performance. All I can say is that you just had to be there! It was an inspiration and IMO, his way of letting us know in his subliminal way that he is doing his bidding for Him every day of his life, using the gift he was given in the right way. He is doing what he was born and destined to do. David’s performance in Verona was truly unforgettable. In a way, I wish there were NO videos of any of the Little Drummer Boy performances until the end of the tour so that each audience can see & FEEL what the videos just can’t pick up which is the energy, excitement and astonishment of seeing David beating on the drum for HIM, putting his whole body into it as he dances side to side. It’s simply glorious!
Stroudsburg was another outstanding performance. A different venue, stage & audience…except for those of us who were fortunate to be there again. David’s vocals were still strong & had no sign of fatigue and his stage presence was still happy, alive and on fire! How does he do it I wondered again? So obvious was his joy on stage. Every song sung with an intensity as if knowing this was the last of the Eastern leg of his tour, he wanted to make sure the fans here felt his love & appreciation. It was like a huge joyous celebration. He danced, he talked more than usual, and danced some more! Zero Gravity got the audience up & dancing. His Little Drummer Boy was again a reminder to us that he is here to stay, playing his “Drum” to Him, playing his best to Him. Giving his thanks to Him for the gift of his amazing ability to reach people regardless of faiths, age, gender, or race through music. That is David’s destiny and he is living it every day.
What a grand & glorious 4 days of seeing David in concert. The best Christmas gift ever!
For anyone reading the fan sites or viewing the videos, you have to know the videos, audios, & recaps of personal experiences, even though some are brilliantly written really do not capture the full essence of seeing David in all his glory on this, his very special tour which is so obviously designed, produced & orchestrated by David to be exactly what he wanted to GIVE to his fans. If there is an opportunity to attend one of the MKOC concerts, PLEASE DO!
To David, all I can say is Thank you for yet again, another unforgettable experience & memories I can tuck away in my heart.
credit Maureen