At
82 years old and a little less than five and a half feet tall, Paul Anka
is a giant on stage. To accentuate this fact, he stands with a HUGE grin
in a Superman pose as he absorbs the applause from the audience. The
Mohegan Sun Arena is a sports arena and as such, is vast and seemingly
unfit for solo entertainment.
The stage set is Las Vegas style neon and
strobe lights with an incredible large video screen that is playing a
retro video of Paul at 16, touring with Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars
and other early tours that culminates with the live musicians and Paul
singing 'You Are My Destiny'.
Wait a minute ... our star is not emerging
onstage. Oh, THERE he is, walking from the back of the arena to the stage
with security and audience (ok, women members of the audience) swarming around him.
How can he be singing through all this? He never misses a note, never
gets cut off by people trying to manhandle him, never skips a beat. He
finishes onstage and strikes the Superman pose.
Paul
Anka is known for singing the songs that he has composed, but I never
realized that he is truly a songwriter who performs some of his songs.
So many others were written for other people. Why? Because they asked
him to.
I have been listening to Paul Anka compositions far more than I
knew. Kent and I had a conversation about a particular song written by
Paul Anka that I had never heard him perform and I doubted that he would
use it in his own shows. Well, there are several performed tonight that I never
expected to hear from him.
From
'Destiny' we go to 'Diana'. Every time the audience is asked to
participate in song, Paul follows up, and tops us, never missing a high
note. Asked how he manages to jump around the stage and keep performing
at 82, he states that "I want to. I stay fit, exercise and diet, diet,
diet. I am on Jenny Craig more than Mr. Craig."
All Of Me
Let Me Try Again ... Frank Sinatra requested a song from Paul in 1973 to help put him back on the charts. Here we are.
Tonight My Love, Tonight
Having
My Baby ... Not a favorite of mine now. Loved it when it came out.
Probably several political and personal aspects that now make it less to me than before. However, he did
dedicate it to a couple in the audience who were having their first
child.
That brings up a
question for me. Paul thanked the audience for their requests tonight
and stated that 'Having My Baby' was a request from this husband. Maybe
so, but it is hard to fathom how people get requests to him or anyone
else on the day of the show. Perhaps social media helps.
Papa
Put
Your Head on My Shoulder ... This created a frenzy among women in the
first few rows as Paul descended into the audience again. One woman took over and kept putting Paul's
hand on her shoulder as she turned her back to him. I wondered if she
had the lyrics wrong.
Paul did explain before this song how special it was to slow dance with a
girl's head resting on your shoulder. So, he wrote about it.
Puppy Love ... written by Paul for Annette. Who does it better, Paul or Donny Osmond? YES! Just can't go wrong either way.
Lonely
Boy ... Paul takes a phone from a woman and sings, "You couldn't come to
this concert. So you are getting it all for free."
Eso Beso
Goodnight My Love ... He performs this while standing on a chair in the audience. Pretty risky.
She's A Lady ... written for Tom Jones and finished with the Superman stance onstage.
Do
I Love You ... he recently recorded this with Dolly Parton and had a
difficult time concentrating ... "Working with the three of them."
Italian
Song ... arrangement made specially for Paul to appease his fans. DO AN
ITALIAN SONG. Strange request to make of a Canadian Greek.
It
Doesn't Matter Anymore ... written, of course, for Buddy Holly. Paul seemed
to pause and almost tear up talking about Holly, his requesting Paul to write him a song and his untimely death while on one of "our" tours.
Lonesome Me
Bye Bye Love ... One for the Everlys
My
Way ... Another one requested by Ole Blue Eyes. It is intricately matched
with a portrait of Frank Sinatra on the back screen, mic in hand that sings the last two words: MY WAY as Paul flourishes a dance ending with a resulting standing ovation.
ENCORES!!! Yes, there are two of them!
New York, New York ... large and bold
Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On
My
friend turns to me and says, "Well, what did you think?" I am silent
because I cannot come up with the words I need. In a way, Paul Anka seems
to be utilizing Sinatra and Vegas, BUT it is all uniquely performed HIS
way. Every pause, tempo and emotion are his, and do not always reflect
the recordings. That is enticing to me. His stage presence is super. His
voice is totally unbelievable. Jenny Craig has done a lot for him.
What a weekend! It's not over yet though. Tomorrow night, I have another concert closer to home. Talk later.
Shelley J Sweet-Tufano
NE Correspondent
Forgotten Hits
But with a black suit!
