I was at the concert and had the oppurtunity to witness the Maestro live. One word I can express about the experience is, WOW...!!
app_engine, I am sure that IR used live instruments instead of using sync recordings or whatever. This was evident from the songs Áasaya kaathula and Maasi Maasam in which the beats were not the originals but something similar, which I thought was OK.
Singers who are usually known to go out of the track and sing their own (like SPB, Hariharan) stuck 95% to the original track.
IR was so intensely concentrating on his string sections getting their act right that he himself forgot the cue while singing the 'Naan thaedum' song. Unless they got it right, he didnt allow the orchestra to get away as evident from 'Senthoora poovaey' song.
The fitting finale was the 'Veettukku veettukku' song. He really does know what the audience wanted. When the audience was merrily clapping its way, he gestured the audience to be silent (like, 'hey, i know you'll love this') and listen to the string section as a 'special-for-concert' improvization.
The gentle rib on Yuvan had the audience in splits.
Sivamani was awesome..!
'Sundari kannaal oru saedhi' was easily the pick of the show, for its sheer magnanimity of the score and the way it was reproduced on stage.
It was my friend who started the 'Once more' shout for 'naan thaedum' song.
During 'Pothi vacha malliga mottu' song, it was amusing to see SPB mudhugu-theichifying IR as he sang 'konjam maranju paakkavaa, illa mudhugu theikkavaa'..!!
Shreya Ghosal was the 'little-kid-who's-afraid-of-her-master' thing. We were amused all the time when she was on stage doing some 'over enthu' stuff and IR glaring at her.
When the audience wanted once more of the 'Naan thaedum' song, Manjari who accompanied IR as the female lead singer, unknowingly went backstage. As IR started all over, and even the interlude was over, but Manjari hadnt come back. IR, timingly, went 'enakku vaeru vazhiyillayae' in the same tune as the charanam. The audience applauded in approval and Manjari joined him to continue.
More later, if I find time to type..!