Gaga Daily reports: Gaga & Tony's post-Grammy concert at the Wiltern!

[ChicaSkas 22,277]

GagaDaily Reports -- Lady Gaga And Tony Bennett's Post Grammy Concert At The Wiltern!

 

 

 

Beautiful music, a gorgeous Lady, and a classy Gentleman mixed wonderfully at The Wiltern in Los Angeles this past Sunday.

This show at the Wiltern was made extra special because just hours before, Gaga and Tony had won the Grammy for "Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album" for Cheek To Cheek!

 

Here is a blow by blow account of the evening, with videos, photos and sounds from the event, as well as some descriptions to the tracks in the setlist that allow for a deeper understanding of the music performed. All in all, Gaga and Tony sang 29 songs, and an additional 4 were played instrumentally by Brian Newman and his band. The show ran a little over 2 hours and got an understandably late start as Tony and Gaga had just driven from the televised 57th annual Grammy Awards at Staples Center, a few miles away. 

 

This was the beginning of many opportunities for the respective fanbases of these two legendary artists to mingle and get to know one another. There was a refreshing contrast in the ages of people who attended the event. The line ranged from teenaged Little Monsters to much older fans of Tony Bennett's who remember him from when he was Gaga's age. Their insights and respective opinions are interesting to note, since both age groups generally have vastly different perceptions of Gaga and Tony. This concert and the tour that will follow set the stage for a deeper and hopefully more positive understanding of each artist by both generations.

 

With this in mind, I arrived early to chat with the theatergoers in line at the door.

 

 

A girl dressed as full on Cher-Ga recognized me and began to chat with me.

She introduced herself as Jackie Dixon.  

 

So, are you big Cheek To Cheek fans, big Jazz Babies here?

 

"Everything. Big 'everything' fans."

 

Got a favorite track you are hoping to hear?

 

"I think Lush Life. I'm waiting [for it] the most."

 

I'm looking forward to Nature Boy. Wondering if we might get any Cole Porter from the new album.

 

"I'm looking forward to what Oldies they throw in. And I think tonight will be a really good show because they got the Grammy. So they should be really excited. They are gonna do something special! I know it!"

They will definitely have to acknowledge it.

 

I met an older gentleman in line, perhaps in his late 60s, who declined to provide his name; but he agreed to be interviewed.

Are you excited about the show?

"Absolutely."

Do you have a favorite tune you are hoping to hear?

"Not at all, he has so many... Anything by Tony Bennett, and Lady Gaga can do any genre."

I like "Smile", the Charlie Chaplin tune Tony covers.

"Anything like that. Any of the old standards. Whatever they choose will be great.I just saw a PBS concert that they gave."

The Great Performances special?

The gentleman smiled. "Yes. [Tonight's] gonna be special. I think it will be extra special because I heard they just won the Grammy. Tony Bennett's legendary. She's going to be legendary."

Right he is. What will we think of Gaga when she is the age Tony is now? The word 'legend' probably won't do her justice by then.

 

 

All around the theater, the red carpet was out, and a special commemorative photo backdrop was wheeled in for the arriving celebrities (not fans, sadly) to get snapped in front of. This backdrop was especially detailed and would have made an impressive poster for sale at the event had the promoters had the foresight... but thank goodness we fans have cameras to make it last forever. 

 

 

Inside the theater, the decorations were sumptuous velvet and large banners displaying "Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga".

 

 

Brian Newman (who has frequently worked with Gaga and Tony) and his band opened the show right around 9:45pm with their smooth version of "The A-Train", a song made famous by Duke Ellington in 1941. This warmed up the gathering crowd and provided a great backdrop to get us in the mood. All around the stage, people were starting to fill the seats, in all kinds of get-ups, from classy gowns and tuxes straight out of the 40's to leather and stud ensembles reminiscing Born This Way 'Bad Kids'. Some began to dance in the aisle when Brian and his band launched into "Get Happy" (made famous by Judy Garland), and many hummed along to "Things Ain't What They Used To Be" (made famous by Duke and Mercer Ellington) as they took pictures with their smartphones.

Right about 10:00 pm, the lights abruptly dimmed to the delight of the people within the Wiltern. Voices hushed and hands clapped, and an announcer's voice boomed over all of us... "Ladies and Gentlemen.... Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga!!"

The audience went crazy!

The familiar openings of "Anything Goes" began, with Tony entering from house left, flashing a debonair smile to his partner, the Lady herself, who glided in from house right, beaming at him. She wore a shimmering silver-pink gown that glimmered reflections across the stage as she moved.

 

Credit and thanks to @RealRyanReid for the footage!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNqzntWxCcs

1."Anything Goes" (by Cole Porter) (circa 1934)

(Made famous by Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald)

Performed by Tony and Gaga

"Man, is it steaming in here, or what?", declared Gaga, "In California...!"

(No, Gaga, trust us, it's just you.)

2. "Cheek To Cheek" (by Irving Berlin) (circa 1935)

(Made famous by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers)

Performed by Tony and Gaga

 

@RealRyanReid:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0a9dY6Nw7U

Gaga paused, brimming with excitement, after she and Tony finished "Cheek To Cheek",

"I just wanted to do this, because you know, it's very exciting. We have to tell the audience."

The audience hollered in delight, most of them already guessing what she was about to say...

She continued, smiling. "Please allow me to do the honors. Ladies and gentlemen, from their Grammy award winning album "Cheek To Cheek", here's "They All Laughed" by Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga!"

And the audience whooped to bring the house down.

3."They All Laughed" (by George and Ira Gershwin) (circa 1937)

(Made famous by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers)

Performed by Tony and Gaga

 

Tony and his band:

4. "The Good Life" (by Sacha Distel and Jack Reardon) (circa 1962)

(Made famous by Tony Bennett off his album, "I Wanna Be Around", 1963)

Performed by Tony

Tony paused to tell a little bit about this song.

"That came from an album we did with Lady Gaga. I'd like you to buy it, because she needs the money!" Tony cracked, grinning as the audience laughed. He couldn't help squelching a laugh, too, in the next line, and this only made the audience laugh harder!

"He is SO funny!" said a Monster nearby.

 

5."The Lady's In Love With You" (by Burton Lane and Frank Loesser) (circa 1939)

(Made famous by the Glenn Miller Orchestra, and subsequently Tony Bennett)

Performed by Tony

 

6. "Nature Boy" (by Eden Ahbez) circa 1948.

(Made famous by Nat King Cole)

Performed by Tony and Gaga

 

 

@RealRyanReid:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESJmaALeedg

 

7. "How Do You Keep The Music Playing?" (by Alan and Marilyn Bergman, and Michel Legrand) circa 1982.

(From the film "Best Friends", 1982)

Performed by Tony

 

8. "Sing, You Sinners!" (by W. Frank Harling & Sam Coslow) circa 1930.

(Made famous by Tony Bennett)

Performed by Tony

 

9. "Bang, Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" (by Sonny Bono) circa 1966.

(Made famous by Cher, and later, Nancy Sinatra)

Performed by Gaga

 

"What a beautiful audience you are tonight."

Gaga observed, looking stunning in a spiraled silver jumpsuit and upswept hair. 

 

  

@RealRyanReid:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Oet_nhSaGg

 

10. "Bewitched, Bothered, And Bewildered" (by Lorenz Hart) circa 1940.

(Made famous by the musical 'Pal Joey', a version by Frank Sinatra, and by Barbra Streisand)

Performed by Gaga

Gaga introduced us to the song in a whimsical, slightly corny, but charming way:

"So some of you are here with those you love, right? And some of you are here with people that you, well, you aren't so sure. For those people, tonight, you might not leave in love, but you'll leave bewitched, maybe a little bit bothered, and... bewildered."

A crazed fan shouted, "I love you!!!!"

Gaga, breaking a precedent she had up until now successfully set to ignore hecklers throughout the show, broke down and replied. "I love you." The crowd hollered, and the fan was delighted.

She also couldn't resist ribbing her pals in Brian Newman's band, working in a joke to the lyrics.

"Men are not a new sensation - just ask one of these guys."

They grinned sheepishly, and the audience catcalled their approval.

Gaga backtracked. "Not all of 'em." She continued to sing, pausing to namecheck another bandmate - Scotty -

to the whoops of the crowd, immediately imagining the goings-on.

After delivering another line or two, she stopped to explain her thoughts on the man who is the object of the song.

"Basically, it's like, jazz.... but who the f**k is this guy?"

The audience cackled at her frankness.

Answering her own question, she dove back into the lyrics.

"He's a fool and don't I know it

But a fool can have his charms

I'm in love and don't I show it

Like a babe in arms..."

Gaga showed a small amount of improvisational scatting on this song, a delightful hint of things to come, think Ella Fitzgerald + Cole Porter on the new album!

 

11. "Firefly" (by Cy Coleman & Carolyn Leigh) circa 1958.

(Originally intended for the musical "Gypsy", recorded by Tony Bennett)

Performed by Gaga and Tony

 

Here, Gaga has fun flirting gently with Tony, mimicking a buzzing firefly, and hopping around him, trying to get his attention. "Hey, Tony." she whispers. "Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz........!"

Tony turns to regard her. The audience laughs.

"I'm sorry, I know you're married... But I'm not married... yet. "

The piano starts up a lively number, opening into "Firefly".

"This is J.F.K.'s favorite song." Gaga declares, as the music starts.

I was surprised to learn this, as it states in Kennedy's archives that his favorite song was "Greensleeves", but sure enough, Gaga is correct. Tony Bennett was honored in a special article of BillBoard magazine in November, 1968 and there it is in print:

 

Tony had a great story to tell us about his next song.

"It's wonderful to be here in this great city, where there is so much talent, more than any other city in the world, in Los Angeles.

One of the greatest artists that ever lived, world-famous, he wrote me a letter. I recorded his song, and it became a very big hit song. And he sent me a letter, and he said, 'Dear Tony: Thank you so much for resurrecting my song and making it famous all over again.' And I couldn't believe the signature. It said, 'Affectionately, Mr. Charlie Chaplin.' Here's the song."

 

Tony tells us a story

 

12."Smile" (by Charlie Chaplin) circa 1936.

(Made famous by Charlie Chaplin and Tony Bennett)

Performed by Tony

 

13. "When You're Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You)" (by Larry Shea and Joe Goodwin) circa 1929.

(Made famous by Louie Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, and Tony Bennett)

Performed by Tony

 

Tony led us on a cheery clap-and-sing refrain through this one.

The house lights came on, and hundreds of people clapped and sang along, or snapped selfies with one another in the light.

14. "Steppin' Out With My Baby"(by Irving Berlin) circa 1948.

(Made famous by the film "Easter Parade" with Judy Garland and Fred Astaire)

Performed by Tony

 

15. "I Won't Dance (Why Should I?)" (by Jerome Kern) circa 1934.

(Made famous by Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra)

Performed by Gaga and Tony

 

 

Once again the minx, this time clad in shimmery flowing black, our girl began to seduce Tony very innocently. "Hey, Tony."

Tony turned in a different direction, perhaps mischieviously ignoring her or pretending not to hear. "Tony.... over here." She teased.

"C'mon...!"

This time he saw her, on the other side of the piano. He smiled. The band picked up right into "I Won't Dance."

Gaga couldn't resist a joke -- she significantly replaced a key word, "continental" with "horizontal", sending the audience into gales of knowing laughter. Tony chuckled. 'If this feeling isn't purely mental," he started. "Is it physical?" Gaga hinted.

Tony finally replied, still in song, "I am not asbestos...!" his own way of saying that yes, he too, isn't unaware of her feminine charms.

"I won't dance!" Gaga declared in high voice at the finish.

"Ok." Tony said, nonplussed, anti-climatically. The audience laughed all over the theater. Gaga and Tony had nailed not only the song, but the perfect balance of humor and timing.

 

@RealRyanReid:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF8fKlBt6nY

 

 

 

16. "For Once In My Life" (by Ron Miller) circa 1966.

(Made famous by Stevie Wonder and Tony Bennett)

Performed by Tony

 

A great recovering of a popular Stevie Wonder tune, this one done in signature Tony Bennett style. All around, the audience sang the words back to Tony.

17. "The Best Is Yet To Come"(by Cy Coleman) circa 1959.

(Made famous by Frank Sinatra, but originally written for and sung by Tony Bennett!)

Performed by Tony

At the very end of the song, we get a hint as to which plum Tony has picked out of the Tree of Life... "Lady Gaga!" he says, as she walks across the stage towards him, to join him in the next number:

18. "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" (by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields) circa 1928.

(Made famous by Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn in the film "Bringing Up Baby", 1938.)

Performed by Gaga and Tony

At the point where Tony sings, "Dream awhile, scheme awhile, you're sure to find - "

"My favorite part." Gaga states to us. The crowd whoops.

" - happiness, and I guess, all the things, you've always pined for!"

Most of the audience knew the words to this one, and sang along.

 

 

@RealRyanReid:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrrbGK2ljMU

 

 

19. "Lush Life" (by Billy Strayhorn) circa 1933 - 1948.

(Made famous by Nat King Cole)

Performed by Gaga

 

Gaga took a sip of a drink off the top of Mike Renzi's piano. "Cheers, everybody." she toasted. "To the amazing Mr. Tony Bennett."

She turned towards him. "I'd like to thank you for -- "

He must have dissuaded her from doing this, as she insisted in the softest scold, "Just let me give you one compliment... while they are all watching."

She resumed, her voice full of meaning. "I'd like to thank you for.... everything. Everything."

The audience collectively sighed an "Awwwww......!"

Tony spoke up. "Congratulations on the Grammy tonight."

"Congratulations to you." Gaga replied. "It's like before I met you, I was a totally different person."

She gently began to sing "Lush Life". And how. This one stood out as one of the best songs Gaga sang throughout the entire evening.

Take a listen:

 

@RealRyanReid:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Lfs8YGcRSc

Gaga described her relationship with Tony to us. "Tony Bennett judges me the way that I am. I say, "Tony, I'm a mess." And he says, "No, you're not. You're just a sophisticated lady."

Tony took her lead, and began to sing "Sophisticated Lady."

 

20. "Sophisticated Lady" (by Duke Ellington and Mitchell Parish) circa 1932.

(Made famous by Duke Ellington, Adelaide Hall and Billie Holiday)

Performed by Tony

 

21. "Watch What Happens" (by Michel Legrand, Norman Gimble) circa 1964.

(Made famous by Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, & Michel Legrand)

Performed by Tony

"What a beautiful night. Thank you for being so good to us, Los Angeles." Tony beamed.

 

22. "Let's Face The Music And Dance" (by Irving Berlin) circa 1936.

(Made famous by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers)

Performed by Tony and Gaga

 

23. "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" (by Cole Porter) circa 1944.

(Made famous by Dave Barbour, Ray Charles, and Tony Bennett)

Performed by Gaga

 

"I'd like to dedicate this song to my parents, who are here tonight. Just because, it's so hard... Cole Porter said it so right, every time we say goodbye, I die a little."

The audience hushed and listened closely (for once in the evening!)

 

@RealRyanReid:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAUeTHO-ouc

 

 

24."Who Cares?" (George and Ira Gershwin) circa 1942.

(Made famous by Fred Astaire, Ella Fitzgerald, and Judy Garland)

Performed by Tony

 

Tony gave a shout out to his band during this one:

"Michael Renzi on piano,

Marcel Wood on bass,

Harold Jones -- Count Basie's favorite drummer!"

 

25."I Left My Heart In San Francisco" (by George Cory) circa 1953.

(Made famous by Tony Bennett)

Performed by Tony

This is Tony Bennett's signature song. A collective rush of applause grew as he opened this one, as this the song most widely associated with Tony.

 

26. "Fly Me To The Moon" (by Bart Howard) circa 1954.

(Made famous by Frank Sinatra and Kaye Ballard)

Performed by Tony, no mic, all accapella.

 

This caused some minor confusion in the far back of the Wiltern, because in the cheapest seats closest to the wall, we could barely hear Tony's voice at all. Many people assumed his mic was dead, and for some reason, he couldn't see this, but in fact, he'd set the mic down to sing completely on his own, no amplification. "Let's turn all the microphones off, now" he said, and launched into a stunning version of 'Fly Me To The Moon', with only a minimal guitar accompaniment at his side.

Tony has done this to great success many a time before, so here is a video of what those in the front row must have heard:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-NRt0IBW_c

 

27."But Beautiful" (by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke) circa 1947.

(Made famous by Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour)

Performed by Tony and Gaga

A great and gorgeous love song, so tenderly sung between the two legends. At the very end, Tony kisses Gaga on the forehead, and the crowd thrills in the specialness of the moment.

Gaga broke the spell with a humorous remark:

"That was an awful nice song to sing to a tramp like me, I'll tell you."

 

28. "The Lady Is A Tramp" (by Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers) circa 1937.

(Made famous by Sophie Tucker, Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth, and Ella Fitzgerald)

Performed by Tony and Gaga

Gaga and Tony note-perfectly reprised their first 2011 (has it been 4 years!?!) jazz hit of "The Lady Is A Tramp". Check it out:

  

@RealRyanReid:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0ceQc5FEw0

 

 

29."It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing" (by Duke Ellington and Irving Mills) circa 1931.

(Made famous by Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Ella Fitzgerald)

Performed by Tony and Gaga

"Alright, everybody stand up, let's say goodbye!" Gaga prompted, and we all rose as Gaga and Tony sang their final tune of the evening together, a rousing rendition of "It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing."

The crowd above and below gave Gaga and Tony a thunderous standing ovation and rounds of applause, hoping for an encore, but the duo gracefully waved and bowed, leaving us to bask in the afterglow of a truly historic performance in their careers.

As the crowds left the theater -- something struck me as I looked around. Not a single person was unhappy. Everyone was chattering about the performance, or how good Gaga looked, or how classy Tony was. People were excited, and cheery, and everyone, young and old, was discussing the evening together as we streamed into the lobby.

Gaga and Tony really threaded the needle, and bridged the gap between the generational divide tonight. And that must be part of the reason they took home that shiny gold Gramophone.

 

We really are lucky as fans and general observers to have had such a pairing of artists occur, because it helps all of us -- it helps Gaga refine her craft, it helps Tony reach a broader audience, and it helps us learn more about both of them and all of the music they share and create together.

 

Congrats, Tony and Gaga, not on just the Grammy -- but on having each other!

Here's to many more years of partnership and musical growth.

© Katharine Styles Burroughs for GagaDaily.com

No part of this article is to be reprinted without credit to the author

[ChicaSkas 22,277]

Gaga wore beautiful gowns throughout the evening.

Check them out here:

(All photos credit @ChicaSkas)

[ViviLittleM 3]

OH MY GOD

 

thank you so much for this

[Sia 314]

Yas

[RBNLM 1,640]

This is amazing

 

[Sunny 12,705]

Thank you Chica, the show looks AMAZING

[Gaga Monster 13,001]

Amazing

[Yanko 9,860]

this is cool

[bionic 41,801]

Thank you so much for another amazing report! So jealous that you got to go. I hope you enjoyed it for the both of us. :P

[artpopmess 369]

It must have been so weird for Gaga to have a concert in a theatre stage and to be able to be so close to the crowd

[Blue Jeans 3,815]

Thanks for the report, i enjoyed reading all of it

 

Hope she comes to Paris for a show, would love to attend with a date

[Pure Adrenaline 1,518]

 

thank u chica

[Whispering 18,865]

Amazing review! Loved reading about the comments from before the concert and about the crowd afterwards! Also, loved reading about all the little things that make this show so special! Thank you so much for taking your time to share this with us!

[Bloody 64,631]

Chica thank you very much for this report   It was wonderful   It seems that you and all the audience had a good time!

You did a great job   

[YSL 2,429]

Thank you for this report!