Amadeus, the “King of Tamarri” (who knows how to throw a party): Rating 10
“I just turned 61, but tonight I feel like I’m 21 and I want to turn the Verona Arena into the biggest nightclub in Italy!” No sooner said than done. Amadeus is a pure explosion of energy, a far cry from the always staid host we are used to on the Ariston stage. He even makes, more than voluntarily, a rude gesture on the “horn” of the Gioca Jouer and it is physically impossible to remove him from the console, his first, eternal love. He is having the night of his life. And he ensures that in addition to the millions of spectators at home, the 10,000 spectators in the arena also spend money. A huge mass karaoke with the most beautiful songs from the sixties to the 2000s. Everyone dances, from children to women in their sixties (who even brought banners from home for the occasion, with all due respect to their age). The direction remains with an older couple who slow dance during Iva Zanicchi’s performance: according to Twitter, the two are the presenter’s parents, Corrado and Antonella Sebastiani. Hearts have melted. The exuberant enthusiasm of “Ama” infects everyone and reminds us of what and who a host really is. As a showman and animator of the event, he seems to be in every place at the same time: on stage, at the desk, in the audience, he doesn’t stay still for a second. “I am the King of Tamarri,” he shouts in the middle of the concert, and so are you! So, let’s get started! I just turned 61. Let’s take what he took.
Paola and Chiara, the enthusiasm of Wednesday Addams: voice 5
Months have passed since they performed “Furore” in Sanremo. Since then, fans’ enormous and rediscovered affection for Paola and Chiara has remained. However, after watching them on television all summer, the enthusiasm of the Iezzi sisters seems to be lacking. An attitude that is incomprehensible, considering that they have managed to win back the general public after two decades of oblivion and fratricidal hostility. Always dressed in black lace, as if they were attending the funeral of one of Wednesday Addams’ relatives, they know more about Transylvania than Ibiza. And it’s a shame too, because the medley they bring to the Verona Arena is very powerful: “Amici come prima”, “Festival”, “Vamos a bailar”. Everyone is having fun, even the sexy dancers. For some reason, at least apparently, much more than the sisters, the protagonists of this phenomenal comeback. Between the gothic outfits and the tired re-imagining of moves designed down to the millimeter to go viral on TikTok, the two seem more interested in making money than entertaining. Not that it’s a bad thing, but eating a feeling, let alone expressing it, often isn’t a crime.
Iva Zanicchi and this (good-natured?) swipe at Malgioglio: Voice 8
Iva Zanicchi, born in 1940, is unstoppable. In the sense that probably not even a police arrest could stop them from telling their dirty jokes. Regardless of the context, even on the stage of the Verona Arena she has to say: “The thing about the camel, because it is the dirtiest thing I know, simply the worst”. Amadeus leaves them amused since he isn’t tasked with directing traffic tonight. 83 years old and without hearing her, not even on a vocal level, Zanicchi intones the famous “Testarda io (La mia solitude)”, after previously making a beautiful introduction to the song: “Now I sing a beautiful piece, that “The only mistake is that it was written by Cristiano Malgioglio.” Amadeus takes his nose off the console for a second and gives her a sideways glance. All is well? Of course yes, it seems: “I was just kidding, Cristiano and I are like brothers!”. In the meantime, he said it. Finally, he says goodbye with a speech to the audience: “Please go have a coffee, because the evening is still long here!” The moderator immediately interrupts them: “But no, we’re almost at the end!” And she, seraphically, concludes again with the vitriol: “And what do I know? Last year I did “Dancing with the Stars”… It never ended!” Iva spent five minutes on stage. Countless people were injured.
Renga and Nek parsley are more affected than couch grass: grade 4
There is a standing ovation of enthusiasm and excitement among the ladies in the arena when Francesco Renga and Nek appear on stage. Like a very infested weed, the two colleagues and “lifelong” friends decided to join forces and have been recording and touring for about a year, always together. Like twins from The Shining. In Amadeus we see them singing hits from the 90s to the 2000s: “Meravigliosa (La Luna)”, “Laura non c’è”, “Lascia che io sia” and “Angelo”, while Neviani tries to take all the notes and Renga doesn’t I mess up the performance and burst out laughing. For what reason is not known. Also noteworthy is how the former Timoria keeps the microphone at a distance from Verona-Brescia when it comes to making a high pitch. The presenter describes them as “a real company” and in fact last summer the strange couple also filmed the entire TV show “Festivalbarini” with a very bland song, “Il Solito Lido”, just to remember their gift as often as possible remind the general public. An extremely successful campaign: on October 7th they will also perform at the Forum d’Assago. “We had so much fun listening to Simple Minds behind the scenes,” Renga shouts to Amadeus, as if it were half a complaint. Omnipresent for omnipresent, there could be a danger of seeing her again along with the Ariston. And we write it out of pure superstition. In reverse gear.
Irene Grandi is always a pleasure (unfortunately very rare): rating 8+
Irene Grandi is one of the greatest mysteries in Italian entertainment. In the 1990s and 2000s she was the queen of Italian pop-rock, then she was seen less and less on television. And that’s a real shame. Vasco Rossi wrote for her (“Your Girlfriend Always,” “Before Leaving for a Long Trip”) and her star truly seemed destined to shine endlessly. On the Arena Suzuki stage, Grandi proves with “Boom Boom” and “Bruci la Città” that he hasn’t even lost a nail from his scratch. And still have a lot of fun live. Stage presence, voice, repertoire, she has everything to be not “just” part of the history of local music, but also its present. However, it’s always a pleasure to see her appear on television again. And not just because it is reminiscent of the triumphant festival bar evenings of yesteryear. When faced with an artist of such caliber, one should always connect time with the future. When it happens – not if – we will thank you sincerely.
Pappalardo, a spooky standing ovation: rating 5+
It was 1979 when all of Italy heard for the first time the intro to one of the greatest classics of Italian music: “And let me scream, let me vent, I can’t live without love.” A lot of water has flowed under the bridge, but “Ricominciamo” by Adriano Pappalardo is still a hit that everyone can agree on. His interpreter, however, perhaps a little less so. Visibly excited to be on stage at the Verona Arena, he, accompanied by Amadeus, immediately storms into the audience and shouts rather incoherent phrases like a madman. We report on a passionate excerpt: “But which VIPs and VIPs?” I am here among you because I am one of you, not a VIP. When the songs come, they come because you want them. I was born from nothing and I’m still here after 40 years. I love you I love you!”. You have to imagine that such words would be hurled at third parties with the same violence as in the epochal television drama in which he was the protagonist together with Antonio Zequila. This is of course immediately a forced standing ovation . Maybe because it’s quite intimidating. In fact, you don’t feel guilty if you fail…
The heartfelt choir tribute to Toto Cutugno: rating 9
Very often there are big rumors about the disappearance of famous people who are regularly not remembered in one program or another. However, the tribute that Amadeus wanted to pay to Toto Cotugno, who died on August 23, took place. And it was truly commendable. “I’m sure Toto is watching us from up there,” says the moderator, “that’s why I want all ten thousand people present here in the Verona Arena to sing L’Italiano.” Please do it too at home! A hunchback, who we imagine to be gigantic, appears on stage off-screen to ensure that everyone, absolutely everyone, can commemorate Cutugno with a karaoke of gigantic proportions. The place, the gesture itself, there is nothing that is not perfect. Arena Suzuki is the big party that Amadeus may have dreamed of since he was a child, thinking it would never happen to him. And he knows how to go from wild DJ to emotional friend in no time. Arena Suzuki has nothing to miss. Because in the Arena Suzuki, Amadeus is the host.