Barry Manilow is a Brooklyn-born singer, pianist, and arranger whose pop ballads and show tunes have filled arenas for five decades. This concert is billed as his last stop in Charleston, which adds a reflective tone without changing the core pacing. #### From jingles to jukebox memories He cut his teeth writing ad jingles and serving as musical director for Bette Midler, a background that honed his gift for sticky hooks and tidy structure. Expect a set built for communal singing and storytelling, with likely anchors like Mandy, Copacabana (At the Copa), Can't Smile Without You, and Looks Like We Made It. #### A city farewell frame The crowd tends to be multi-generational, mixing longtime radio fans, theater folks, and families who share the songs across the aisle, dressed from sharp blazers to sequined tops. Lesser-known note: Could It Be Magic borrows its dramatic pull from a Chopin prelude, and he also penned the State Farm jingle you still hear. For clarity, the selections and production beats mentioned here are my best read of the current run, not a confirmed script.

### The world around a Barry Manilow show

The room looks like a reunion of eras, with vintage satin tour jackets, neat sport coats, and bright shirts that nod to Copa night-life. #### Sequins, stories, and inside winks You hear gentle call-and-response on the first chorus of Can't Smile Without You, and by the last chorus the whole floor sways in time. #### Traditions that travel city to city Fans trade origin stories at the bar about first dances to Mandy or hearing him with grandparents on weekend radio, and it reads as shared history rather than nostalgia theater. Merch trends skew classic script logos, lyric tees, glossy tour books, and the occasional boa or sparkle scarf for those leaning into disco flair. Newer fans tend to film the big hooks, but most people pocket phones during piano intros out of soft respect for the quiet parts. The closing confetti during the uptempo encore draws smiles, but the bigger ritual is a simple, steady chant of Barry Manilow's name that rolls out before the final bow.

### How Barry Manilow builds the big lift live

Barry Manilow's voice sits in a warm mid-range now, and he leans on clean diction and breathy edges to sell the story more than sheer power. #### Torch voice, band lift The band usually runs a tight rhythm section, two to three horns, strings on tracks or a small pit, and three backing vocalists who thicken the choruses without crowding him. He favors clear song shapes, often starting at the piano for a verse before the band swells on the second chorus to make the lift feel earned. #### Little switches that shape the night Expect a few slower tempos than the records and some half-step key drops that keep the grain of his tone comfortable while preserving the big endings. A common live twist is a medley that pairs Weekend in New England with Looks Like We Made It, letting the band stretch the bridge and then snap back for a clean button. When the disco colors hit, Copacabana (At the Copa) often runs longer with extra percussion breaks, while the lights go from warm gold to saturated greens and reds.

### Kindred Keys: Barry Manilow fans' neighboring acts

Fans of Billy Joel often overlap because both build shows around piano-led stories, crisp melodies, and light humor between songs. #### If you like piano-pop confessions Michael Buble brings a big-band glide and spotlight-on-strings feel that tracks with Barry Manilow's orchestral moments and crooner phrasing. If you lean toward polished soul-pop, Lionel Richie scratches the same itch with warm mid-tempo grooves and a friendly, sing-every-chorus crowd energy. #### Croon, soul, and horn-rich polish For those who like slick horns and veteran bands, Chicago shares the era and the tight, chart-tested arrangements that still move rooms. All four acts prize songs you can hum on the ride home and shows paced like a good playlist, with room for banter and a classic closer.