At 81, Barry Manilow doesn't miss a beat at sweet, fun, final (he says) Milwaukee concert
"This very well may be the last time I get to see you," Barry Manilow said an hour into his Fiserv Forum concert in Milwaukee Saturday night. "I'm 100 years old. It's time."
For the record, Manilow isn't 100; he turned 81 in June. And some skepticism about this being his Milwaukee swan song would be understandable: His previous concert in town, in 2015 at the Bradley Center, also was marketed as his last.
But the strongest evidence Saturday that some fans may think, or certainly hope, this 15th Milwaukee show since 1977 won't be the final one: Manilow remains the consummate entertainer in nearly every way.
Manilow had some vocal support from three sharp backing singers — plus a couple of star turns from the Kids from Wisconsin for a soulfully patriotic "Let Freedom Ring" and the night's finale reprise of "It's a Miracle."
But on Saturday, Manilow's voice, not to mention his tender piano melodies, deepened the wistful sentimentality of "Even Now" and "Weekend in New England." Both of them ended with Manilow strongly singing to the rafters with 10-second notes — and drawing enthusiastic applause that lasted six to 10 times as long.
For "Weekend in New England," glowstick-waving fans (they've been handed out at Manilow shows for ages) couldn't withhold their enthusiasm to the end, with a burst of hollers and squeals surging the first time Manilow sang, "When can I touch you?"
"Really, after all these years?" a bemused Manilow responded before getting back to business.
Manilow still sounds superb in his 80s, and Saturday, he had infectious energy to spare. He busted out some dance moves for "I'm Your Man," including slides across the stage alongside some of his backing musicians (there were 13 in total, including three keyboardists and a three-piece horn section). He got down for the night's penultimate number "Copacabana (at the Copa)" — inspiring a couple of older fans to nimbly boogie in front of me — while he was sporting a shirt with feathered sleeves as unapologetically campy as his famed ruffled "Copacabana" top.
"Could It Be Magic" initially was performed like a ballad, as it appeared on Manilow's 1973 self-titled debut album —inspired, he explained, by Frédéric Chopin's "Prelude in C Minor" (which he also played a touch of). But it didn't take long for the band to present the song in its most popular form, as a disco dance tune reimagined by Donna Summer, with Manilow Saturday complementing the music with multiple hip thrusts.
"I'm still a sex god," Manilow proclaimed enthusiastically, shortly before feigning an "ow." "And now the sex god has to sit down," prompting a from a stool performance of "I Made It Through the Rain."
There were plenty of amusing jokes like that one that added to the evening's fun. At one point, he encouraged the crowd to get their Kleenex at the ready — before slipping into the perky Band-Aid jingle he wrote, followed by the still-popular State Farm jingle he also wrote, proclaiming, half-seriously, that it was his biggest hit.
"I am so glad you like my songs," Manilow said sweetly to his audience at one point. "I am so happy they're going to be ruined in elevators for years to come."
But there were tender remembrances alongside the punchlines that were equally engaging — including a clip of his 1975 performance of "Mandy" on "The Midnight Special" that saw the 2024 Manilow duetting with footage of his younger self.
The most moving part of the show was the commentary he gave before and during a song he played in honor of his grandfather, "This One's for You," recognizing him as the first person in his family who saw his musical potential. Manilow recalled walking across the Brooklyn Bridge to Times Square with his grandfather as a young boy to sing at a 25-cent recording booth — he even played a clip of one of the sweet recordings at the show — and recalled the pride he felt, nervous at his first Carnegie Hall show, seeing his grandfather as the first person to stand up and give him a standing ovation.
And here he was in Milwaukee, now 81, still earning those standing ovations. If this really is the last time he'll play Milwaukee — and, realistically, we have to admit that could be the case — Manilow at Fiserv Forum went out on top.
Barry Manilow gives Cudahy High School, local teacher $10,000 check
Before his 15th and final Milwaukee concert, Manilow had a very special gift for Cudahy High School and the school's music teacher, Alex St. Louis.
His nonprofit, the Manilow Music Project, awarded St. Louis the Manilow Music Project Teacher Award, based on votes from students at 10 area high schools. Manilow presented St. Louis a $10,000 check Saturday, with the school receiving $5,000 for its music program and St. Louis receiving $5,000. Additionally, Fiserv Forum announced it would donate $2,500 for Cudahy High School’s music program.
"It's going to put kids in the right step," St. Louis told the Journal Sentinel. "Right now, I know a lot of my students face a hard time trying to even find the money to even rent an instrument from a local music store or purchase their own instrument, and so we do a lot of providing those instruments, and I don't have a lot of instruments that I can provide to students."
"There are a lot of students that are doubling up on instruments right now and that's not OK," St. Louis continued. "We need an instrument per student. This is going to allow me to provide these instruments for everybody in the classroom."
Surrounded by several relatives, St. Louis got to meet Manilow for a few minutes backstage before receiving his award and check.
"I knew there was something deep down inside me that I have to give back … ," St. Louis explained to Manilow about his motivation to become a music teacher. "They need mentors in their lives to show them certain things and how to navigate the world."
Manilow's reply: "Alex, you are the (expletive) man."
Manilow also recognized St. Louis during his concert in Milwaukee; the teacher, under a spotlight, took a bow from his seat on the floor. (Sitting a few rows in front of St. Louis: famed Milwaukee attorney David Gruber, who got his own ovation from the crowd when he walked across the arena floor before Manilow's set.)
"They're all so proud of you, they all love you," Manilow said to St. Louis as the crowd cheered.
And in addition to St. Louis and several relatives, other area music teachers who were in the running for the award received free tickets to the concert.
Barry Manilow's Fiserv Forum setlist in Milwaukee
"It's a Miracle"
"I'm Your Man"
"Daybreak"
"Looks Like We Made It"
"Can't Smile Without You"
"This One's for You"
"Bandstand Boogie"
"Even Now"
"Can't Take My Eyes Off of You"
"A Weekend In New England"
"All The Time"
Band Aid and State Farm commercial jingles
"Could It Be Magic"
"I Made It Through the Rain"
"My Country 'Tis of Thee"/"Let Freedom Ring"
"Mandy"
"I Write the Songs"
"Copacabana (At the Copa)"
"It's a Miracle"
Contact Piet at (414) 223-5162 or plevy@journalsentinel.com. Follow him on X at @pietlevy or Facebook at facebook.com/PietLevyMJS.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: At 81, Barry Manilow doesn't miss a beat at fun, final Milwaukee show
