|
Friday 15 and Saterday 16 August 2003 Gino Vannelli in Atlantic City, NJ, USA......
Gino Vannelli David Goldblatt Enzo Todesco Pat Thomi Victor Bailey, Marco Luciani A group of string players and saxophone.
We are ready to upload your Atlantic City Gino Vannelli experiences, feelings, emotions, pictures, reviews and stories....... Just e-mail us your "things" and we will fill this web page with your
Here we go with the very first report of the Friday Atlantic City Gino Vannelli concert
Surprise surprise and what a great blast from the past!!! I wish I would have had the names of the musicians before going to the show. I kept looking at the drummer and the guitar player thinking their faces looked familiar but did not recognize them. It wasn’t until Gino’s cousin Lana told me that Enzo was on the drums!!! No wonder the drummer sounded so sensational and played as if he had known Gino’s music forever. As much as I am embarrassed to admit I didn’t know that Pat was “thee”Pat Thomi , until after the show when I was able to talk to him. Whenever Gino introduced them it was hard to hear the names between all the clapping.
For me I thought the show was more mellow and subdue with just a touch of jazz which made it more intimate for the 10:00 evening performance. With Pat playing guitar and Enzo on drums one would think you were hearing parts of the B to B concert!! I don’t have the list of songs because Judy wrote them down and I forgot to get them from her before I left. Gino’s selections were the familiar songs, (not in this order) Wild Horses, Living Inside Myself, Stay With Me, Hurts To Be In love and the crowd especially applauded Wheels of Life and Brother to Brother. About mid way through the show Gino motioned for several musicians that consisted of a string orchestra to take their seats. He then introduced the song Canto and sang it so beautifully that the crowd stood and applauded. It was so obvious that there were many who loved his Italian music.
Gino added his personal touch with a few humorous stories, one which included his family going to the Vatican and meeting JP, the Pope. He then proudly announced that his son Anton was with him for the first time!! We had the privilege of meeting Anton after the show. Not only is he handsome and a very tall young man, (who by way does favor Gino when he was younger)”, but is also very polite and quite receptive when it came time to meet a few of his fathers long time fans. He asked me how I like Canto and had said he was glad his father recorded the songs because it was something he had longed to do.
So, here is just a small report on last nights show. After being on a train and a plane all day I am too exhausted to continue but wanted to give you some of the great news.. Gino again gave a great performance and the band was sensational for being together for the first time. I am sure I missed another outstanding performance this evening and I’m sure Judy will soon report on that show. I do look forward to hearing Gino perform with this band again. At least it sounds like a possibility for the near future!!! Just arrived home from our Atlantic City weekend. Everything was so good and we all could not have had a better time. They only thing missing for me has been sleep and I am working on about 4-5 hours for the whole weekend. I wanted to say Hello and give a brief overview of the two concerts before I catch up on my lost sleep. First the set list. It was the same for both evenings.
Hit this beautiful photo for a sharper and larger one
Wheels of LifeLiving Inside Myself Wild Horses Keep on Walking Stay With Me (Trees I thought of you right away. WOW !!!!!! GINO gave us a great version of a old favorite) Canto The Last Dance Parole Per Mio Padre People Gotta Move Hurts to be in Love Brother to Brother I Just Wanna Stop On Friday night the audience was a mix of lifelong fans and many older couples who probably received comp tickets from the casino. Many did not know GINO or his music. Sadly the show was not a sellout but it was pretty close. This venue seats 462 persons and I was sad that it wasn't a sellout. Our group was very enthusiatic and enjoyed every song and story that GINO gave to us during this wonderful evening performance. GINO was in top form. For my sister Cathy it was the first time she saw GINO perform live on stage. She was blown away by his performance and could talk about nothing else all day Saturday. She had not planned to go to the Saturday show but she was hooked and she stayed with us and attended the Saturday show and wants to know when the next show will be. She loves Canto and now wants to buy all of the other albums. Meeting GINO after the show was a huge thrill for her. They sold the Canto CD and also a beautiful book with the lyrics and photos. GINO spent time with everyone who stayed for the meet and greet. He signed CD's and the keepsake lyric book and posed for pictures. We all left with hugh smiles on our faces and a special memory for each of us. The audience for the Saturday show included many long time fans. This show was not a sellout. It had a totally different feel to it and very loyal and excited fans. GINO was once again in top form and the audience was very receptive and cheered loudly. More people stayed for the meet and greet after the show and each was greeted warmly by GINO. GINO should be very proud of his performances on both evenings. He sounded wonderful and looked great. On Saturday evening my mother told me she heard Parole Per Mio Padre on the radio. She said the dj was very very impressed with GINO'S new Canto cd and highly recommended that all listeners go and buy it. He also mentioned that GINO was performing in Atlantic City this weekend and if you could go it would be well worth it and you would really enjoy the show. My mother enjoyed hearing Parole Per Mio Padre and thought it coincidence that she heard it on the radio when we were in Atlantic City for the concerts. Our GINO weekend was FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We hope to get the chance to do it again real soon!!!!!!!!!!!!
All the best to you and I will be in touch soon with more thoughts about the wonderful shows. For me it was my 13th and 14th time to see GINO
perform his magic. Many wonderful memories were made this weekend along with new friends. It's always good to meet devoted fans and share
a story or two about our love for GINO and his music. 4 more pictures by Mary Lou :
 Hi Barend and Trees,What a great time we had in Atlantic City. After a long drive, Joyce and I decided to check out the "Shell" to see where it was and we heard some music coming from inside. I opened the door and there he was, all in black doing a rehearsal/soundcheck. We snuck in and sat quietly in the back to listen. After about 15 minutes, Gino was walking around the room listening to the sound and he had seen us but didn't say anything. He was about 10' from us and he came over and said, "hi, how are you ?" Joyce had a hard time speaking but I jumped right in and said " hello Gino, we came to see you and get some pictures for Barend and Trees and give them a review". He said "come on in and have a seat". Now Joyce was grinning from ear to ear and felt a little more comfortable. We sat about 10 ' from the stage and he went through about 4 songs and his voice was exceptional. The guys sounded great too and we felt so good to be in there hearing this ALONE !!! We left when they began (what looked like) a meeting and headed back to the room with HUGE SMILES on our faces. We were the first in line to get in and waited about 2 1/2 hours. We met some really nice people and a young man named Jamie who looked to me to be Gino's son but it wasn't. Jamie was so excited to be there and he loves Gino and sings his songs in band and plays several instruments and he was so into Gino it was really nice to see from a young "kid". We were able to get really good seats and most of the seats in the middle were reserved for family and high rollers (most of who didn't show) but I was very happy with our seats. They mentioned 2 times about pictures and recordings so I thought for sure I wouldn't be able to get any. I decided to try to use the digital camera without the flash so it wouldn't be detected. I got several pictures but someone called security and told them because they came over and said that if I continued to "video", they would confiscate my camera. I wasn't videoing anything but the digital can make it look that way. The show was almost over so I stopped taking pictures and resumed outside while Gino signed autographs and CD's. His son Anton was there and I had him sign a ticket stub for me and he seemed gracious but totally unimpressed with all that was going on with his father. He is a very cute young man and very TALL !! Gino mentioned on stage that they don't know where his height came from. Gino also told of his relationship with his Dad and how he told him he needed to have his career (alone) and it put a wedge between them for some time. His father who wanted to be a professional singer but was discouraged, lived it through Gino. He never got the chance to make it up to him before his Father passed and then went into singing "Parole Per Mio Padre" which totally took on a new meaning for me. There was subtle differences in Gino's voice that were incredible. ALL of the songs he sang sounded better as only Gino could make them, but in a different way. They were crisper, more refined, but it was his VOICE that was different. It was so pure and it sounded like he refined his way of singing. It was really, really fantastic. Even the songs before Canto were more crisper. He mentioned working with a vocal coach and I really feel it made a big difference. I absolutely loved Gino's voice before but something definitely has changed with his sound. This was by far the best performance I've seen him do. He was into the music, the audience and had great communication with the band. The mini "orchestra" was impressive but was hard to hear at times when the band came in. The 3 new songs from Canto were flawless and he really moved the audience with his own way of becoming the music. There were at least 3 standing ovations and a lot of screaming going on. Gino surpassed himself at the Saturday night show. His voice is so strong and pure, it brought tears to my eyes to hear him sing to his Father. I didn't know what he was saying but I knew he sang it from his heart and I'm sure his Father was listening. It was a moving performance and I can't wait to see him again.
I forwarded you some of the photos I took and I assure you my flash never went off. Share them with other Gino fans who could attend the show. It was really the best I've seen Gino perform ! It was an amazing performance. 
Pictures made by Patti Battista :* Gino Vannelli live on stage in Atlantic City, NJ, USA 16 august 2003. * Musicians live on stage photo 2. * Photo 3 : Gino Vannelli and David Goldblatt... * Gino Vannelli backstage signing the CANTO cd with His happy smiles !!!
If you click on the photos which are shown on this web page you can get a larger picture, if you want... We have bigger photo's in our filemanager and when you see the bigger pictures and keep your arrow on that bigger picture a button will apprear and when you hit this button you will see a sharper picture this works in our windows version so you all have to try it out
*
Gino Vannelli poster close up...
* Gino Vannelli into His music...
* It's a bit dark but this is the best we can make of this picture...
* Gino Vannelli spreads the emotions and vibes into the audience and His voice is superb again and hits many people in the hearts, deep into their hearts !!!
* Next photo...
More pictures by Patti : Just looked at some of the reviews of the concert this past weekend. I was surprised to see the song list and the fact that it did not include much of his new work on Canto. Although I adore all of his past work, I really would love to see him perform his new stuff on Canto. It appears that he promoted more of his new CD in Canada. I hope that when he tours more in the U.S. this fall that we can enjoy this new body of work that he has poured his heart into. Please keep me posted if you can on his new tour dates and I will sure to be there. I'm so in love with his new CD and I can't wait to hear the incredible music in person. Thanks, Gina I hope all is well with you both. Gino’s performance at the Shell at the Trump Marina Casino in Atlantic City on August 16th was brilliant! The concert hall is small, about 450 seats. When Gino sings, he sings to everyone in the hall – his voice and passion is so great! Gino performed many songs form his early career like People Gotta Move, Wild Horses, Living Inside Myself, Wild Horses, Keep on Walking, Brother to Brother, Stay With Me to name a few. The performance of these songs was as I mentioned in my review on Gino web site, closer to his original recordings than that of his re-worked jazz versions of these songs. The size of the Shell Hall made the evening with Gino feel quite intimate. Gino sung with such passion and energy when he sang Canto, The Last Dance and Parole Per Mio Padre. I will now listen and appreciate these songs from ‘Canto’ much more now. Gino and his voice were truly amazing!! After the concert, I had an opportunity to meet Gino and offer my thanks for the many hours of entertainment that he has given me. Gino is such a giving and gracious man. Watching Gino before and after the concert with his son Anton, you can see a man that he truly loves his son. He appears so proud of Anton. And boy is Gino’s son ever tall…from my view as one that is vertically challenged; 6’3” tall is like an Everest tree!! It was really nice to see Gino with his son right next to him.
I am still watching for Gino to perform in Toronto and when I hear
something I will let you both know. This was truly a dream-come-true for my son... So, Gino, thank you for giving Jamie your
time. from this travel-weary "unofficial reporter" for your web site! To add to the list of musicians, Marco Luciani on Synthesizers, and Sound ran by Rick Winquest. There was a Horn player, Mike ??, and the Orchestra contained 3 violinist, 1 stand up bass, one flutist, and one cello player. Cyndi and I arrived in Atlantic City Friday after a few delays, and ran into Marco outside the "Shell" where rehearsals were going on. We got to watch and listen to some of rehearsal. Right away, it was apparent that Gino was bringing a new sound to some favorite tunes...a 2003 version of songs, incorporating rhythms of the original versions with some updated restyled arrangements. I first thought, "for the many people who have begged for the "old sound", they would be very pleased to be getting that in an updated way! Different from the shows I have seen over the past few years! It reminded me of when I heard Gino in 95 after a long lapse on my part from seeing him perform. I got the same tingly feeling of excitement and anticipation of hearing "fresh" new - old songs. The first night had a somewhat subdued, but appreciative audience. I liked the way the show was arranged, incorporating the Canto music in the middle of the show. I was hoping to hear Dea Speranza, as I did in Montreal in July, and missing that song was my only minor disappointment. Guess I will have to travel again, perhaps to the Netherlands (LOL!) and see Gino with a full orchestra to hear more of CANTO live! The performances given by all the musicians was great! David Goldblatt continually impresses me on both a personal note, and performance level. On "Living Inside Myself, there were both piano and guitar spotlight, and Pat Thomi had a solo spot during "Stay With Me" The entire band "smoked" on People Gotta move!!
The second night seemed very magical to me, very "fun". The band seem a little "tighter", and I especially got a kick watching Victor Bailey on bass! Everything really clicked for them (the band), and it showed as well as it was heard by an appreciative and more vocal crowd! Gino has always set the bar high for his delivery of any performance he gives, but Saturday's show had an aura of outright fun and delight that was apparent to all. It seemed to me that Gino got pretty emotional when he spoke about meeting his "love of his life", and shared how that inspired "Keep on Walking". And Gino cracked me up laughing the first night with the stories of he and his family meeting the Pope.
There were a lot of familiar friends and faces there to see Gino. You have heard already the story of 15 year old Jamie. As Gino was walking out of rehearsal on Friday..Jamie spotted him and yelled out, Oh, my Gino Vannelli!, to which Gino replied, Yes, I am Gino Vannelli. Jamie then said he was Gino's biggest fan Too quickly it was time to go home. Sunday was not the best travel day home for me, and I think our "Master of Music" had a tough travel day -- I felt really bad that my wishes of "good travels home" when I said Thanks and Good-bye to Gino didn't happen for him (or me!) I am glad I have a couple of free days home before going back to work! And while there is nothing official or solid, I do believe there are plans being made for other concerts. For those who love Gino's music, and for those who are looking to hear Gino's songs performed in the vein of the original versions, THIS IS YOUR CHANCE!! Don't miss it! You will not be sorry!! That's my report! Judy Marazzi/Unofficial Reporter for the Barend & Tree's Shameless Devotion to Gino Vannelli Web Page!  More..........Joyce loved the show. She agrees that this was the best we've ever seen. She had tears in her eyes when he sang : "one last dance". She was really moved by his vocals on that song. She had a great time and is equally tired but she had 240 patients today so it's back to work for her. I had Gino sign a ticket for Toni and she kissed it when I gave it to her. It was cute.
I also have more pics but some are blurry. I will send them to you as well. Use them however you like.
I told Gino when he was signing all the stuff I had for him that this trip was a Birthday present for me (early but still) and he wished me a Happy Birthday. That really was sweet of him since I was taking a lot of pics after the show with the flash on. I'd love to just sit with him and talk, really have a conversation with him. He is such a genius with his music and his art. And just think...if it wasn't for Gino, I never would have met you both!!! Patti with : "GINO OFCOURSE" More pictures from Patti : - Poster 2 - - Meet and greet 1 - Meet and greet 2 - Meet and greet 3. - Gino & live on stage 1 - And Gino live on stage 2. MY WIFE AND I SO WANTED TO BE AT THE CONCERT LAST WEEKEND BUT COULD NOT MAKE IT. I KNEW I COULD COUNT ON YOUR SITE FOR FAN REVIEWS AND PHOTOS OF THE CONCERT. FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT WHILE WORKING, AT CONCERT TIME I KEPT THINKING TO MY SELF " I WONDER WHAT SONG IS GINO SINGING RIGHT NOW ?" YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL SITE WITH GREAT PEOPLE WHO VISIT AND SHARE, THANKS TO ALL OF YOU. SHOULD GINO RETURN TO PITTSBURGH WITH CANTO, I PROMISE TO CONTRIBUTE, ALONG WITH A NICE STORY FROM WHEN GINO WAS IN PITTSBURGH FOR THE SLOW LOVE TOUR, YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST! THANKS FOR LETTING ME EXPERIENCE THE CONCERT THROUGH YOU'RE RECENT MEMORIES. JOE H. PITTSBURGH As I had written to you, I decided to give myself a birthday present, and fly to Atlantic City to see Gino. It was really crazy, as it was an expensive trip, but there are some things you just have to do! I had to fly into Newark (about 2 hours away), but because of the traffic it took over 3 hours to get to Atlantic City. I promptly got lost and after a series of mishaps (my concert ticket was nowhere to be found..), I got to the Shell about 15 minutes before showtime. Luckily, I called Ticketmaster and they had record of my purchase, so I didn't have to buy another one. Since I was alone, I was seated at a front table with some very nice people from the area... they had never seen Gino and had been fans since the beginning. To echo Cindi, Mary Lou and Patti's sentiments, Gino sounded wonderful. His voice has become richer, with more depth, in part because of his recent vocal coaching, but I think it's also with his maturity and life experiences. I had not seen him since 1999, so this was a real treat. The band was amazing, and I loved the different "twists" he put on some of the classics. "Wild Horses" especially was fun. Also great to hear "Stay With Me". It was hard to classify this audience. There were certainly the loyal fans, but also (as Cindi, Mary Lou & Patti mentioned) some older folks that just decided to see a show or were given tickets. You always get some "heckler" that has to yell out something, and of course, some guy yells out, "Hey Gino, how about something from the old days!". This comment came right after "People Gotta Move" !!! How "old days" can you get? I was thrilled to see and hear the reaction of the audience to the "Canto" selections. Honestly, his voice has never sounded better! (Also a treat to see Judy again and meet Cyndi). After the show, I stood in line with everyone else and when Gino saw me the look of surprise was priceless! He pulled me around the back of the table to give me a big hug and told me to hang around because he wanted to introduce me to his son. Anton was very gracious and quite shy, but clearly proud of his dad. He then wanted to go backstage to get his bag, and said to me "Can you hang around a little longer?" Gee, no, Gino....think I'll go gamble instead :) When he came back out he motioned to me and introduced me to his cousin Lana, who is a dynamo and a huge fan in her own right! He had Lana set me up with a pass for the next night and told her to take care of me. She was terrific and it was fun to tell her about the "old days" and my memories of Gino and his brothers that I have kept very near and dear. Uncle Vic is a sweetheart, and since I had spent time with Gino's father back in the mid 70's it was almost eerie, as the resemblance was quite strong.
I had such a wonderful time, that when I returned home yesterday, a wave of sadness? came over me. I don't know how to describe it, but even though I spent way more money than I should have, when I was watching Gino perform and listening to his beautiful voice, I thought to myself...."it doesn't get better than this" and meant it. I truly hope this was not the only performance in the U.S. scheduled.
When I have my pictures developed, I'll send them along. (Don't have a digital camera).
It's now a challenge to get back to the real world and think about something other than last weekend. Everything became so hectic before leaving on vacation. I finally got back home, late Sunday morning. The flight was a fiasco. The good news.... I saw Gino perform on 8/15. As usual, phenomenal! As I said to Uncle Vic, if any fan does not like "Canto," then they are not a true fan of Gino. I can't wait for him to perform with an orchestra so that I can hear the songs of Canto, live. Thanks, Roe from Florida... Thank you for posting my review of Gino's performance in the Shell concert hall at Trump's Marina in Atlantic City, New Jersey. On Sunday, on the drive home back to Canada I tuned my car radio to 97.3FM Easy Rock and Lo and Behold Gino's 'The Last Dance' was playing! Talk about timing! It was great to hear this excellent song from Gino again because I can still hear how beautifully he performed this song the night before in AC. Today, Wednesday, on 97.3FM 'Easy Rock' I heard their recent promotion...if you have joined their on-line 'Timothy's Easy Rock at Work' promotion...a few lucky Gino fans could win a dream chance to be part of a Gino Vannelli intimate concert to be recorded for a future broadcast. All this week at 9:20AM & 10:20AM and again at 3:20PM, many lucky fans will win 2 tickets to a special Gino Vannelli concert. This is great news for the promotion of Gino and his new CD 'CANTO'. Today, while listening to 97.3FM 'Easy Rock' I heard 'The Last Dance' three times! You may find further information about this contest at www.ezrock.com ...Gord Without you I don't know if I would have found out about it. I have been a fan since 1973. He is the best as I can see you feel this too. It is always so great to speak with him personally after the show, I have had this opportunity twice. I have enjoyed your information on Gino. Unfortunately he is not widely known in the States and never has received the recognition for his genius that he so deserves. He always sings from the heart. I just had to write you guys and "thank you" (again) for all the hardwork you put into these web pages for Gino!! If it were not for you, I probably would not have known about Gino appearing in Atlantic City! And, guess what, I went to his show on Saturday, Aug. 16th!!
Gino was absolutely brilliant! His voice was the best I have ever heard it! I had the greatest time and got to meet Gino afterwards! He is such a warm and gracious person!! But I was so nervous about meeting him I can't even remember what I said!! There really aren't many performers who would take the time to meet their fans like Gino. That really is touching. But then again, he was the same back in 1979 when I met him at the Philadelphia Spectrum after his Brother to Brother concert. A handful of us waited for him behind the Spectrum at the ramp and we saw him come out and jump into his limo real quick so we thought "oh well" that's it. But as they drove up the ramp, the limo stopped and Gino got out to sign autographs!! WOW was I surprized! He even gave me a kiss on the cheek! We really didn't expect him to stop. What a great person he is to be so caring of his fans! And he still is today! Anyway, thanks for listening. I hope Gino will be performing more in the USA because I just have to see him perform again! It is really weird but I was so happy/excited about going to see Gino and then when it was all over I was really sad and still am!!! I want more! (LOL) I am a drummer living in New York, who has been following Gino since Crazy Life. Truly the best artist of our time. How there is a seat available any where he performs baffles me! He performed songs from each time peroid. His voice is as strong as ever ! I do not understand how he is not ten times bigger than he is. A true master !!! Thanks for all the music Gino . 8/16/03 I will never ever forget this evening in Atlantic City, your line : Gino Vannelli : The Master of Music !!! is absolutely true.................. What a voice, I am speechless, thanks for your links, I could easely order tickets and I have NO regrets. What an evening, God bless you and Gino Vannelli. J. Florida, USA Atlantic city was the first time I was able to finally catch Gino Vannelli. I felt like a little kid seeing my idol for the first time. He has been such a source of inspiration in my own career. Anyway, I hope I am not boring you. Thanks guy's . Keep up the good work. You are great !!! Yours respectfully, phil (New York) 
More pictures :
I'm Jamie Alimorad, the 15 year old that was at both of Gino's Atlantic City concerts. I had the best time meeting Gino and seeing him perform. My Dad got me interested in Gino's music about 6 years ago and I've been in awe of him ever since. My Mom & I saw Gino coming out of the showroom on Friday afternoon and I got so nervous when I saw him that I almost didn't know what to say. He was so great. He signed every CD sleeve, album cover & video tape that I brought with me (and there were a lot!). I got to a chance to talk to him several times over the weekend and we met some of his family (his son, Andre; his cousin, Lana; and his Uncle Vic... all really special people... and so lucky to be related to him!!!). We also met so many of his fans that are also really nice. I had a lot of fun talking to all of them.
I have been singing since I'm 5 years old (in the church choir, all the music programs at school, on stage and with my own band). I hope that someday I could be 1/8th as talented as Gino. He really is 'the master'. That weekend will always be in my top 10 of special events! Thanks for providing your website and thanks to Gino for making his music. I hope he keeps going for a long, long time!
Photo 1 : Gino Vannelli live on stage in Atlantic City Photo 2 : Jamie, Gino and Laura together on a beautiful photo ! Photo 3 : Jamie and Lana Photo 4 : What a dream : Jamie meets Gino for the very first time ! Photo 5 : Bags full with Gino Vannelli cd's and lp's...... Photo 6 : One more picture made after the concert Photo 7 : One more signature from the Master of Music !!! Photo 8 : Gino pays a lot of attention to His fans as always my 23 year-old daughter, Ashley, took her 20-year old brother, Nick to the concert for his birthday. These kids have been "born and raised" on Gino, and love him to death! I got a call at 11:30pm from my daughter to tell me that they both bought "Canto", and that Gino signed the covers. She also told me that Gino kissed her cheek, and that she was holding the phone on that cheek so that I could get some "secondary Gino love". They raved about the concert, and as the generations switch roles, they are now turning ME on to the newest Gino release! You got it Gino and you've always had it! Keep it coming, and post the list of concert dates and places so the rest of us 3-plus decade fans can get out to see you again. Toni K. 
Back to the CANTO web page...Back to the concerts reviews page... Back to page 1... Back to the top of this page... Copyright (c) 2003 - 2008 Barend and Trees in Holland
|
