Don't be deceived. This is in fact an open love letter camouflaging itself as a review.
You don't often get those moments in life when you feel you're witnessing legends in the making, but last night was one of them.
Sitting in ASB Arena with tears streaming down my faceas Sol3 Mio delivered everything from comedy to raw emotion, and some of the best voices in New Zealand to a sold-out crowd.
They can take you from tears to on-your-feet dancing in 30 seconds.
If you haven't been to a Sol3 Mio show before, forget any preconceived ideas you might have of opera singers and what they do.
These guys don't do anything by the book. Even their collectable tea towel at the front door was sold to my sister and I as a 'cotton poster', as a quirky alternative.
Fourth time's a trick and their farewell (for now) tour was their best show yet.
They mixed it up with some new pieces but their real skill is in making their classics sound new every time, with the same amount of effort, emotion and passion as if they were singing it for the first time.
You don't have to be a singer to see they are giving everything they have and more to each song and every audience. Real tears and real laughter shows that they're in it the whole way.
It's more than a singing concert. It's a show and they have worked the audience in as an integral part of it.
They can take you from tears to on-your-feet dancing in 30 seconds. These humble Samoan Kiwis have the genuine talent to reach out and really engage and entertain people.
Spoiler alert: Things stepped up a notch in the second half with Moses undoing AT LEAST two top buttons and Pene performing his 'sexy dance'.
All I could think when I left was Thank You, Sol3 Mio. Thank you for sharing your talent with us. Thank you for being so open and honest in your performance. And thank you for giving all of yourselves to every show. It's a genuine pleasure to listen to you.
I have no doubt that things will only get better for this incredibly talented trio. I have a feeling my #fangirl photo with them in 2013 might be something I show my kids in years to come.
