Being Iranian, I have genetically inherited the trait of waiting until the last minute to purchase concert tickets. I don’t know why I waited, since I knew I was going to attend as soon as I heard about the event. Dariush and Mansour is one of the strongest and appealing programs we’ve had in Atlanta. So, I go to get my tickets about a week before the event expecting a wide selection of seats to choose from, and I get a seat in the 4th row…from the back! I’ve been to just about every Persian concert in Atlanta over the past 10+ years, and it’s difficult for me to remember the last time I saw this many people at such an event. The Ferst Center at Georgia Tech can accommodate an audience of nearly 1200 people and the number of empty seats was very few and far between. The show began shortly after 10pm with the warm voices of the audience supporting a recording of soroode “Ey Iran”.

Mansour took the stage opening with “Vaghti Nisti” and his red shoes were flashy enough to catch my eyes, even from where I was sitting. His vivacity quickly filled the room, and his voice was true to the CD’s we all know him by. The crowd went ecstatic with his performance of “Doone Doone.” He performed over 20 songs, with more emphasis on the more recent half of his discography including hits such as “Dado Bi Dad”, “Zendegi”, “Faghat Beh Khatereh Tou”, “Arezoomeh”, “Azize Delami”, and many more. At one point we heard a roar of screams from fans. Not sure where they were coming from I looked around to see it was because Mansour had taken his sunglasses off. His energy combined with the power of the 6/8 rhythms made it difficult for people to simply sit and watch. The crowd went from dancing in place at their seats to forming their own dance floors all around the auditorium, including a large one in front of the stage. After a solid performance of well over an hour, Mansour closed with “Divooneh”, leaving the audience wanting more.

A 20-minute intermission allowed the audience to socialize and enjoy chai va shirini. But before I was able to say hello to everyone I wanted, the lights began flashing and it was time to take our seats. The moment many people in the audience were waiting for had arrived and Dariush took the stage. As in his previous concert in Atlanta, he opened with “Faryad Zire Aab”. As he began, the applause was louder than it had been all night. His stage presence and unmistakable voice gave me goose bumps. I was looking forward to a live performance of some of his newer songs from the album Rahe Man (such as “Chakavak”), but I was left disappointed. Instead, we were taken back several decades with new arrangements of classics such as “Zendooni”, “Yavare Hamisheh Moemen”, “Dasthaye To”, “Shaghayegh”, and many more. Also, as usual, his songs were interspersed with recitations of poems, emphasizing love and unity. He encouraged the audience to support their fellow Iranians in any way possible, citing his organization Ayeneh.org as a channel. He ended with a tasteful version of “Cheshme Man” that substituted piano for the guitar in the original version. As the audience was making as much noise as possible for Dariush to return to the stage, Dariush entertained us with an encore performance of “Hasoud”.

Overall, it was a great production. I believe the venue well suited the event, although some may disagree since there was not a dance floor. The stage was well arranged and the lighting made for an awesome experience. The sound was strong, even in the far corners of the theater. For those who did not attend, you missed a great show. I hope that in the future you will all continue to support such events, allowing promoters to bring you other quality events like this one.

This review of the Dariush & Mansour August 25th Atlanta concert was written by Mamal.