It’s Saturday, August 13, 2016, and New Jersey might be having one of it’s famous summer heatwaves, but that doesn’t stop Michael Bolton’s devoted fans from showing up in droves to see him perform live at Ocean Grove’s historic Great Auditorium.
Despite the heat, as showtime rapidly approaches, the 122-year-old venue is packed with dedicated fans. None, however, are more devoted than the self-proclaimed Bolton Babes — a group of six women from Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, and New Jersey, who have been attending Michael Bolton concerts for more than two decades now.
Sporting matching “Michael Bolton for President” T-shirts which they made especially for this concert, the Babes — Lee, Sally, Debbie, Joy, Elena, and Joyce — treat each other like they’ve known each other all their lives, but in reality, they had never met until they independently connected as Bolton fans via the Internet to share their love of Michael and his music.
Based on the level of the excitement all six Babes are exhibiting, it might appear to any outsider that tonight’s event at the Great Auditorium is a long-awaited reunion show where the friends can get together and enjoy seeing their favorite celebrity once again. However, the truth is that these ultra-devoted fans had just gotten together two short nights ago at a Michael Bolton concert in North Jersey!
Ask any of these wonderful women why they love Michael Bolton above all other entertainers and they will happily tell you things like, “He’s mesmerizing” or “You don’t just hear his music — you feel it.” They also express additional sentiments including such compliments as, “His band has the nicest people in it,” and “He’s always a gentleman.”
Asked why they created the special matching black shirts with the white lettering that reads “Michael Bolton for President,” the Babes matter-of-factly contend they would uniformly support a Bolton candidacy for POTUS because, as they say, “He’d be better than any of the other candidates.” They also describe Bolton as being “trustworthy and honest” in addition to being “generous.” Most importantly, however, the Babes want to vote for Bolton for president because, as they happily reveal, “We love him.”
Lee also goes on to explain, “We’re all here tonight because our love for Michael brought us together,” and Debbie further adds, “And the motto of the Boltons Babes is ‘Music brings people together.’”
And as if Michael and his band were channeling the words of Babes, the theater lights dim, the band ascends to the stage, and the darkness becomes bathed in blue light as the magnificent music which brings people together begins to play. Moments later, the lights come up on the one-and-only Michael Bolton as he greets his fans, already wildly cheering and clapping for their musical idol.
His diamond stud earring sparkling under the gleaming lights, Bolton and his band — Brian Beevar on piano, Ryan Parrino on guitar, Nelson Braxton on bass, Jason Peterson DeLaire on saxophone and keyboards, and Ashley Locheed and Samantha Fly on backup vocals — open the show with Ben E. King’s classic “Stand by Me,” Bolton fans — including the Babes — forever standing by him.
Closing his eyes as he listens approvingly to the sax solo on “Stand By Me,” a fan calls out, “You know I’m here, Michael — turn around; somebody named Nicky loves you!” At that point, Bolton — straight faced — makes an impromptu announcement to the crowd, “Folks, we have people strategically placed in the audience and we can’t control what they say.”
After finishing the song to hearty applause, Bolton tells the audience, “I’m happy to be here in New Jersey,” much to the crowd’s delight. Moving on to The Bee Gees hit, “To Love Somebody,” Bolton also tells his fans, “Feel free to sing along on the chorus or the guitar solo or whatever you like. We encourage you to do what you want.”
As Bolton sings the song — his voice never sounding better — the audience starts to sing too. “You sound great so don’t be shy,” he asserts. “Just feel free to take over from your seats!,” and the audience joyfully continues to sing along on this song and the next, a tune Bolton says comes from someone who is “easily one of the greatest artists of our time.” That artist is Otis Redding and that song is entitled “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.”
As Bolton sings, the heat rises both in the great hall as well as on the stage.
“Take your jacket off,” yells a fan.
“I think you are confusing this with another type of show,” replies Bolton.
A different fan reiterates, “Don’t be shy,” and Michael responds with a deadpan look as he gazes out at the audience, “Well, I guess I did say that.”
Moving on to a song he co-wrote with the well-known music producer, Robert John “Mutt” Lange, Bolton and his band perform a dynamic live version of “I Said I Loved You But I Lied.” In this powerful rendition, great vocal harmonies rise up from the band’s singers and Bolton shows off his exceptional falsetto voice as well.
Explaining to the audience that he’s had an opportunity to perform with the legendary Ray Charles three times and calling each time “a life-altering experience,” Bolton and his band perform a knock-your-sox-off rendition of Charles’ “I Got a Woman.” With this song, Bolton’s bluesy voice soars over the four-part background harmonies, making the number sound like a spiritual and melting fans’ hearts any given time he gestures in their direction.
Bolton invites the audience to “go back in time” with him as he introduces a song the great Frank Sinatra made famous. His voice sounding like a soulful Hammond organ played through a Leslie speaker, Bolton and his band hit one out of the park with their upbeat and swingy version of “That’s Life.”
“I’ll come up and fan you,” loudly shouts one of Bolton’s boldest fans so that the entire 7000+ seat venue can hear her.
“That’s very kind of you,” he gently replies, turning to the congregation to cheerfully comment, “It’s amazing how that person doesn’t need a mike.”
Announcing the next number saying, “This is the kind of music I was hearing growing up in Connecticut as a kid,” Bolton introduces a classic Robert Johnson blues song. Sounding like they’ve taken a page right out the Allman Brothers playbook, Bolton and the band raise the roof as Nelson Braxton on bass and Jason Peterson DeLaire on sax dance with their instruments while Bolton plays a rip-roaring guitar solo on Johnson’s classic shuffle blues, “Sweet Home Chicago.”
Taking a short break, Bolton leaves the stage for a moment and features DeLaire on a Spyro Gyra-like smooth jazz piece, “You and I.” Making his saxophone sound like multiple horns to the crowd’s enchantment, DeLaire plays with both precision and nuance as he uses dynamics for maximum emotional effect. By the time he’s done performing, one of the Bolton Babes comes forward with a handkerchief which DeLaire gratefully uses to wipe his brow and then looks over and gives her a huge smile.
“Having fun with my band?,” Bolton asks when he returns to the stage. Going on to thank both the group and his entire entourage for their dedication and excellent work, he tells the crowd, “All of my musicians travel the world with me. And I have a great crew, too — they are the first ones in and the last ones out.”
Moving on to a series of four duets with background vocalist, Samantha Fly, Bolton starts out by performing a song by Bob Dylan entitled “Make You Feel My Love” featuring Ryan Parrino on acoustic guitar and Brian Beevar on grand piano. As the acoustic instruments interweave their complimentary accompaniment parts, Bolton’s voice intertwines with Fly’s, prompting this Philadelphia native to later recall, “I can’t believe I get to sing with Michael Bolton every night.”
Bolton goes on to tell the audience that although he was signed to Epic Records at the age of 16, he didn’t have his first hit until 18 years later when he was 34! In the meantime, many of his friends encouraged him to write songs for other artists “just to buy food.” One of those songs became a hit for Laura Branigan in 1983 and later, in 1990, it became the breakout #1 hit that turned him into a superstar. Entitled “How am I Supposed to Live Without You,” Bolton and Fly sing the verses together but extend their microphones out to the audience on the famous chorus so the fans — who clearly know this song perfectly by heart — can sing it all by themselves.
Another highlight of the show is Bolton and Fly’s version of a song from Michael’s recent Motown tribute album, A Tribute to Hitsville, USA. The duo channels the timeless sound of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell as the band cooks a la the fabulous Funk Brothers on the great Ashford and Simpson-penned classic, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”
Amazingly, that performance is superceded by a song which Bolton says was written by his “dear friend, David Foster,” the gorgeous “The Prayer,” originally recorded by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli. Alternately singing in English and Italian with ease and grace, Michael and Samantha simply sing their hearts out. Hearing this stunning piece in the magnificent spiritual setting of the Great Auditorium only adds to the emotion reinforcing the idea which Michael’s fans, notably the Bolton Babes, assert: “You don’t just hear his music — you feel it.”
At the thrilling conclusion, a random fan yells out “Molto buono!,” as the crowd rises to its feet.
Also true to what the Babes say about him — that he’s a “generous” man — Bolton takes a moment to remind the audience about a special fundraiser that his foundation, The Michael Bolton Charities, will hold on August 20 to help at-risk women and children. After suggesting that audience members find out more information about the fundraiser at michaelboltoncharities.com, Bolton graciously turns center stage over to Sam Fly as she sings “Back On My Feet Again.” Then, he hands things over to Brian Beevar on piano and Jason Peterson DeLaire on saxophone so they can perform a moving instrumental version of Joe Cocker’s “You Are So Beautiful.”
Breaking the ethereal mood at the end of this gorgeous piece, however, is a host of Great Auditorium security guards rapidly marching down the side aisle of the theater. Just as audience members begin to look around to find out what the problem is, they happily realize there is no problem at all. Rather, Mr. Bolton is walking past their seats to the center of the auditorium where he steps up onto a bench and sings a riveting version of his 1991 #1 hit, “When A Man Loves A Woman,” directly to his adoring fans all throughout the venue.
The audience is a sea of blue lights as fans hold their phones up to immortalize the moment, cheering and high-fiving Bolton as he returns to the stage to sing yet another hit — a 1990 Top Ten smash he co-wrote with Diane Warren and Desmond Child — “How Can We Be Lovers?”
But now it’s the fans’ turn to march toward the front of the theater, as many expeditiously leave their seats and fill the area at the foot of the stage, some even calling out requests.
And Bolton does take a request from a husband and wife in the crowd celebrating 35 years of marriage this summer’s eve as he sings his 1989 Top 20 hit “Soul Provider” for them and congratulates them on their accomplishment.
Leaving the entire audience on its feet, Bolton thanks the crowd telling them, “Thank you, Ocean Grove! Thank you, New Jersey.”
With the fans chanting “Michael, Michael,” Bolton obliges them with one last number. As he sits on a stool relaxed and ready to begin, he smiles as one fan jokingly yells out, “You don’t have to sing, you can just sit there.”
But Michael Bolton can’t just sit there because he knows that it is music — his music — that has brought these people together tonight. As such, he regales them with Ray Charles’ famous “Georgia,” hitting the high notes and doing what comes naturally to this uber-talented vocalist with ease and emotion.
After shaking hands with the Bolton Babes and so many of his other ardent fans, Bolton asks his bandmates to stand by him for one final bow.
With smiles on their faces and a jukebox full of Bolton songs in their hearts, the audience makes its way out of this celebrated venue.
As they happily stroll into the evening air, audience members are overheard debriefing one another on what they have just communally experienced.
“His performance is intoxicating,” exclaims one die-hard Bolton Babe. “I’ve never been to a concert where he doesn’t give 1000%,” affirms another.
“It’s kind of like when you want to scream for the Beatles — it’s a girl thing!,” declares a dedicated fan, and yet another clearly speaks for many when she asserts, “No matter how many times I’ve seen him, I’m mesmerized by his connection to us.”
For no matter what may happen to any of us on any given day — no matter what we might have to face in the workplace, in the media, during our daily commutes, or while engaging in any of the other daily comings and goings of our lives, Michael Bolton’s fans know something that devoted followers of many other great live musical performers know…
That music can brighten our days.
That music can change our moods.
That music can make us feel young again.
That “Music brings people together.”
For more on Michael Bolton’s recordings and upcoming concert schedule, please go to michaelbolton.com. To find out how you can help the Michael Bolton Charities continue their work helping at-risk women and children, please click on michaelboltoncharities.com. For information on upcoming live concerts at The Great Auditorium — including The Orchestra, featuring former members of ELO, on Aug. 20; and the Doo Wop Extravaganza starring The Duprees, Shirley Alston Reeves, The Belmonts, and The Toys on Sept. 3 — please go to oceangrove.org.
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