The band Misty celebrated 10 years of remarkable entertainment, on the 23rd of September, at the Water’s Edge Ballroom, featuring a star-studded lineup that dazzled the stage of “MISTY a decade of Music, Magic & Memories”.
Misty began their musical journey as a duo act and then made the successful transition to a full band in 2001. Since then Misty shot its way to fame headlining at almost every gala event hosted in Sri Lanka as well as annual tours in USA, Australia, Europe and many Asian countries. Misty has always sought perfect equilibrium in the quality of their music as well as their performance. The 6 member band consists of front man Rajitha on vocals, Dennis on drums, Sanjeeva on bass, Sudath on lead guitar, Udaya on keyboards and the latest addition Merlina also on vocals.
The “party” got underway in true Misty style. Their usual flair and finesse was brought to the stage as they presented hit after hit leaving the crowd spellbound. Front liner Rajitha Rupasinghe’s performance and stage presence was unparalleled as he stormed on and off the stage with tunes from Joe Cocker to Elton John to Frank Sinatra.
The event also saw a spectacular performance by Geoffrey Fernando, whose rich vocals wooed the audience especially the fairer of the sexes as they clung onto his every note. His rendition of the 1965 tune The Impossible Dream was heart wrenching, bringing the crowd to roaring applause.
The stage was set ablaze with Damian Wickramatilake taking on the Queen classic “Bohemian Rhapsody”, one of the most complex scores ever covered. It was truly a performance of perfection with band and vocals working in unison to churn out one of the most spectacular performances of the night.
Nostalgia entered hearts with the reenactment of a Rat Pack medley. One was brought to imagine Frank, Dean and Sammy on the Misty stage as Rajitha, Geoff and Damien did the legends justice. “Oh what a kick in the head”.
The medleys rolled on with a tribute to the Blues Brothers causing a shift in the atmosphere with the entrance of the two crazy Rupasinghes: Rajitha and brother Prabath. Oh what joy to see an act unhindered by the norms of today’s entertainment dos and don’ts. Loved the rare sense of “weird” that was presented by this duo and one sure hope is that this would be consistent in the Misty lineup.
The battle of the skins took center stage as Rakitha of Naadro fame joined Dennis to a showdown. A back and forth beat grid between the two maestros left the audience eager for the next THUMP, as merged rhythms lead them into the next segment of the show.
The downside to the night was the lack of femininity throughout the celebration. It would’ve been the done thing to see more of Merlina’s magnetic presence, as that would’ve sparked off more “magic & memories”. I was excited when Misty introduced the lady last year but was disappointed when she wasn’t an essential part of this mega milestone. But when she did emerge onto stage she brought glamour and an unrelenting performance: par excellence.
“One final surprise guest” as introduced by Mr. Misty, appeared sparkling… literally! Benji Ranabahu of Amazing Grace and Mirage fame, armed with his headless bass guitar broke into some snazzy footwork, which left Mr. Misty trying his best to keep up.
Darkness filled the room as Dennis shoved Mr. Misty aside to let out a one of a kind, no holds barred Drum solo, which for that while, felt like the feature of the night. A single spotlight on the colourfully clad burgher boy suddenly had all gazes upon him.
To sum up, an evening of music, magic and memories, was truly experienced by the musicians and audience members alike: an audience chanting in want of more, showing their gratitude with a thunderous standing ovation is the confirmation of a job well done, wishing Misty many more years of success.
Review by Antonia
Pics by Kithsiri de Mel
0 Comments