I grew up in the Lehigh Valley of PA, and can remember with great fondness how I was first in line to buy each new Donna Summer record... and had all the words memorized before my friends could even ask "Did you know Donna Summer has a new album out?" So while I've lived in New York state for 20+ years now, it was fitting that I return to Bethlehem to enjoy Donna's first concert in this area. Donna performed on the first night of Bethlehem's annual MusikFest festival, and the radio advertising for the week teased "It just isn't summer without MusikFest... and it isn't MusikFest without summer... DONNA SUMMER" -- and she didn't disappoint!
The weather threatened to ruin the outside venue, but by 8:30 the skies were calm and starting to cool... and we were off! The curtain went up on the stage at 8:45, and after the instrumental medley Donna appeared on the rising piano to "She Works Hard for the Money", one of my personal favorites. It was electric! She immediately settled in to the song set similar to what has been reported widely here -
- "Once Upon a Time / I Love You"
- "Could It Be Magic" , which is great live!
- "MacArthur Park", with a short introduction that the song is about "love", not "cake"!
- "Smile", amazing with its beautiful string accompaniment
- "On the Radio", preceded by "With a Little Help from My Friends" and the selection of 5 very excited audience members to do background vocals
After telling the 5 volunteers they could see their picture on the new section of her
donnasummer.com site, she plugged her new single available on iTunes - and we were treated to a verse and chorus of "I Got Your Love" - it was very well received by the crowd
- "(You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman" - also evoked a very positive response
- Bruce performed "Le Imagine Cafe"
- "My Man Medley" - very true to the "Live and More" version, and great live
- "No More Tears" with her sister Mary
- "Nights in White Satin", which I found hauntingly beautiful - will we ever get a recording?!
- "Try Me" / "I Feel Love" / "Love to Love You Baby" - I wasn't expecting this, and it was great!
- "Cold Love" - awesome live, and used to introduce the band members
- "Bad Girls" and "Hot Stuff" - what can I say?!
- "Last Dance" as an encore, preceded by a violin solo
The crowd was a mix of young and old, but they were as one in celebrating the night of the diva! It was a perfect evening.
- Jeff from New York |
| Well what can I say it had been 8 years since I last saw Donna live at penns landing back in 1997. My wife and I saw Donna on Friday at the Riverplace and she was unbelievable, she looked great and sounded fabulous, she did everything right. Loved the way she came onto the stage thru a piano what a sight!!!!
My wife Adela had not ever seen Donna live and let me say by the time Donna launched into I Love You my wife was in tears she could not believe how great Donna sounded. She said what a difference in shows, she recently saw the Britney show on showtime and was so disappointed at the way the current female singers lip-synch most of there songs. My wife was extremely impressed and loved every minute of the show as well as I did too!!!
Donna did all the the hits that she did in all the previous shows of late, except when she did a little bit of that’s the way I like it and boogie oggie oggie yes just little tidbits while she was introducing her band members. It was great. Well I am sending a review of the show that was in the newspaper this morning basically it says exactly what I've said but it came with a picture from the show that shows Donna coming out of the Piano. Fantastic that’s all I can say!
I do have one more little bit of news to pass on I thought it was funny. My wife and I went the next night to see Keith Urban and while we were waiting for the show to start we ran into a little old black lady who happens to live near the Riverplace and she told us how the previous night Donna Summer was there and how her house is across the bridge in Bethlehem and how they shut all there windows in her house and still could here Donna thru the walls, I told her we were fans off Donna and she said she could understand why Donna was Great!! I thought that was funny thing that happened while we were there.
- Quay Foster |
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The highlights for me were: Donna sang I Got your Love!!!!! Before the On The Radio spotlight she sang, I Need a Little Help From From My Friends. Then called up 5 people to sing back- up. She included Try Me, I Feel Love, and I Love to Love You Baby back into her set. The crowd was wild. She also placed back Natural Woman, Nights In White Satin, and Smile. It was one of the longest shows I have seen Donna do in a long time. She was up beat and wore outfits which were flattering to her waist size. The Muzicfest is a big deal in PA and Donna was the opening act for the entire two week extravaganza. She plugged her web site and I tunes At the end of the concert the speakers were blasting I Got Your Love!!! It was magical. There is so much more I want to write-- I will need to process the show and do a real review when I return to NY on Monday----I think PNC is going to be a very special show!!!! you lucky guys and girls.
- Angelo |