Yes, Neil, breaking up is hard to do

“Breaking up is hard to do” when you watch Neil Sedaka perform. In the almost two hours my wife and I watched his concert last night, we never had a dull moment as we sang and danced to the songs of the ’50s and ’60s.

Neil is a total performer. He kows fans like us looking forward to when we save our hard-earned money to watch his show. Neil showed no fatigue as he showed his virtuosity on the piano and accompanied himself on the keyboard. He belted out 26 songs — 24 of them old but popular ones during our younger years. I was not so familiar with the other two songs.

Neil showed how much he prepared for this concert. He sang all the songs and played the piano by memory. Walang nota nota. Only the list of songs on sight.

His introductory song may not be so popular but when he belted out the rest, he got a thunderous burst of applause from his wonderful, happy audience at the end of each song. They are:

1. Oh Carol

2. Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen — He asked the audience to sing with him, especially the Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen line. That was the cue we were waiting for as we sang with him lines we could still remember.

3. Where the Boys Are (he said he wrote this song for Connie Franciis, who popularized it)

4. Breaking Up is Hard to Do — before singing this song he said that he was the king of tralalas and dobidoos.

5. Stairway to Heaven — he said this song was done “when the world was looking of the first sex symbol.” I didn’t know that.

6. Diary

7. Girl Next Door

8. Calendar Girl — He played the keyboard, then stopped, stood up and danced to the crowd’s delight, as someone in his 50s would.

9. You ( he said this one of his new songs; he remembered that in 1958 to 1963 he sold 40 million records; then the Beatles came and it was not good; so he retired and stopped singing for 10 years) — I love this “new song“. The melody sounds like Solitaire. The lyrics are so meaningful: “You turn dark to light; there can be no one but you; as you made the world seem bright; you are my everything and no one can make me feel that way.”

10. Little Babe — He sang this after recalling that he started writing songs when he was 13. He thanks God for that songwriting gift. He adds that he never forgot those neglected children in the song.

11. I Should Never Let You Go — Here, he did a duet with daughter Donna, via the magic of technology. Donna was on screen and Neil was performing live in Manila. Neil then introduced his family: His wife, son Mark, a TV writer in the US who came with him for the concert and three grandchildren who call him “Papa Neil.”

12. Love Will Put Us Together — The song, says Neil, got him his first Grammy award.

13. Solitaire — The audience fell silent as Neil sang the song. He was accompanying himself on the piano. It was so solemn, and the crowd gave him a thunderous round of applause when they heard the last note.

14. I Miss the Hungry Years — It was my first time to hear the song.

15. After the Rain — It was also my first time to hear it. Neil sang it after remembering his father Max, a taxi driver for 30 years who got to be called Maxie the Taxi.

16. Turning the Hands of Time

17. I’m Always Chasing Rainbow — Neil showed the piano virtuoso in him The audience gave long standing ovation and asked for more. And he gave them more.

18. You Mean Everything to Me

19. Run Samson Run — This brought the audience down as they sang with him. Others couldn’t control themselves anymore and started dancing even on such a very small space in-between the steel chairs at the coliseum.

20. My World is Getting Smaller Everyday

21. That’s Where Music Takes Me — a rock ‘n roll song I heard for the first time. Neil then said goodbye to the audience and left the stage. But I was very sure, he knew it that we would ask for more. Neil readily obliged and came back to the stage to sing:

22. One Way Ticket to the Blue — This elicited another tumultuous applause from the audience.

23. I Must Be Dreaming — As he was singing, I was telling myself I must only be dreaming. I recall that when he had his first performance, I couldn’t afford Neil’s concert. Now here I am with my wife, seeing him live as I sat a stone’s throw away from where Neil was singing and dancing.

24. Breaking Up Is Hard to Do — After this, he said his “second goodbye. “ But the audience answered with their “second shouts” of “more, more, more.” Showing what a great performer is made of and knowing what his fans like, Neil obliged once more and brought the house down again with his last song.

25. Stupid Cupid — His fans could no longer control themselves as they stood up, sang and danced with him. After that, we knew we had them all, and the show must end somewhere.

(I actually had 26 songs in my record, but I don’t know the exact title of Neil’s opening or introductory song. I don’t know if I missed a song).

Oh, what a night. The show was a big hit; a blockbuster; and I am sure everyone’s trip down memory lane was filled with all those beautiful and lovely thoughts when we were young. Indeed, breaking up is hard to do as Neil Sedaka bade goodbye to the crowd that wanted more. But they knew it was the end of a beautiful, memorable event. And yes, I knew I was not dreaming after all. It’s a reality — that more than 40 years ago, we were singing his songs and are still singing them today. They are great and memorable songs even our children and their children are humming and singing — a clear confirmation that a versatile artist and the quality songs he sings will never fade away as they will remain music to our ears forever. Thank you, Neil for making our day.