The Barry Biggest Fanilow

He wrote the songs, he wrote the songs. He came and he gave without taking. It looks like he made it, and why? Because he did. He’s Barry Manilow, and he’s coming to Wolf Trap tonight and tomorrow for a 2-day concert extravaganza that will heretofore be known as Wolf Trap’s Gathering of the Fanilows. 

So what makes a true Fanilow, you ask? How great must be one’s commitment to Manilow fandom that one might earn the ascription of such a clever portmanteau? The question, indeed, is one as old as “Mandy” itself. Is a true Fanilow one who commands a scrupulously comprehensive knowledge of the Manilow oeuvre, from his early work with Bette Middler to The Greatest Love Songs of All Time and everything in between? Certainly. And what about those die-hard Barr-iginators, the forerunners of Mandimonium (Man-di-low-nium?) who pledged their allegiance at the genesis of his career in the early 1970s and have remained loyal for 4 decades? Surely they need not defend their right to the name of Fanilow. But what about those among the BM faithful who, in their undying admiration and worship, have captured the artist’s essence, the Manilow zeitgeist, and made it their own? 

Maybe “Looks Like We Made It” is your wedding song. Maybe every time you’re away on business and you’ve rented a car, you buy a worn and loved copy of 2:00 AM Paradise Café from an old record store just to cruise around with, making sure to leave it in the player for that next lucky driver. Maybe you’ve named your boat The Copacabana, your dog “Lola,” and your son “Manny.” The road to Fanilowhood diverges in myriad separate and sundry paths, but the destination is the same and the lesson of the journey universal: with Barry Manilow, it’s about more than simply the music.

To all Fanilows, young and old: get ready for the concert event of the year, tonight and tomorrow at the Filene Center. We want this particular Manil-show to be the best experience possible, so be sure to Tweet @Wolf_Trap with your 140 character review of the performance. If you include #WTReview, you’ll not only be entered into our monthly drawing for tickets, but also for a CD/DVD pack of Barry!