Tony Bennett & Antonia Bennett @ Ovens Auditorium

It is nice that Bennett has his daughter open for him.  Having family on the road must also be a great comfort for both of them. Antonia is a great singer in her own right, however I think she will always live in the shadow of her legendary father (pretty much how I felt seeing Sean Lennon's band opening for Beck).

Having seen Tony Bennett in the smaller Hilton Las Vegas in 2008, and closer to the stage, I think I had been spoiled, and then did all the bad things by comparing the two.  Our seats tonight are a lot further back , and in a larger auditorium here in Ovens.  Bennett looks all of his 88 years tonight (as in comparison to a spritely 80 in 2008), yet his voice is just as smooth as always.  One great song after another, had the crowd excited and enthused.  Steppin' Out With My Baby, The Way You Look Tonight and I Left My Heart In San Francisco were definite highlights.  Amy and I took her mom tonight, as Bennett is the last of his era that she hadn't seen, and she spent the whole show smiling, on the edge of her seat - and she wasn't the only one in the crowd doing so.  It was all business tonight, not a lot of banter or stories from Bennett (again, unlike last time).  While his voice was spot on, there seemed to be some spark missing from Bennett's performance.  That sounds negative, but contrary, I'm glad I got to see him for a second time.  It was just hard to live up to the Vegas performance.

The Crap Facts:
This is my 396th concert.
Ovens Auditorium is the 110th venue I've seen a concert in.
This is my 40th concert in Charlotte.
This is my 45th concert in North Carolina.
This is my 204th concert in the USA.
Antonia Bennett is the 470th band I've seen
This is the 2nd time I've seen Tony Bennett.