I don’t think there’s ever been a musician quite like Frank Sinatra. Music can make you feel all sorts of ways, but when a Sinatra song comes on, I get a blend of grandness and nostalgia that nothing else can quite replicate.
This Candlelight Concert was the next closest thing to being back in a club listening to the legendary crooners themselves–both Sinatra and Nat King Cole. On 9/5/25, I went to the legendary Biltmore Los Angeles–a fabulous old hotel and a convenient short walk for me downtown–to experience this Candlelight Concert, put on by Fever Events.
A slight upgrade from your average motel.
I’ve been to the Biltmore many times, mostly to drink good wine in their lobby restaurant and sketch the architecture and art that the hotel has integrated into every surface and feature possible. It’s a venue that instantly classes up any act playing it, but also brings a weight of pressure to perform.
Not a bad place to wait in line.
There was already a line for the concert, so when you’re going to these things, arrive early and bring a jacket–both because it gets chilly, and so you have something to leave on your seat so you can claim it first and then get up, get a drink, walk around.
Approaching the performance space.
There was also a paid add-on photography service where someone would take a professional photo of you in front of a lot of candles in the entry area.
Maybe next time.
Seating is by section, so you buy a ticket on Fever for either section A (the front), B (the middle), or C (the back). From there, you get seated first-come-first-serve within your section. Sometimes being a party of one helps me in this regard, if there’s only one single seat left in the front row while all the couples have to be seated in the second row. In this case, however, I was late enough to be seated in the back/middle of section A. No complaints though, still a great view, but these chairs are NOT elevated so I think sitting a lot further back might reduce the experience more than a normal theater.
What must the battery budget be for these events? I hope whoever has to set them all down and turn them on and off is well-paid.
The concert began promptly and out came five instrumentalists and the singer. The instrumentation was a drum set, an upright bass, a keyboard, a saxophone, and a guitar.
The singer launched into it right away, and when he opened his mouth and belted out the first words I swear it was like being back at a club in 1955, 70 years ago, hearing Sinatra himself sing out his emotions.
They worked together very well.
After a song or two, the singer introduced himself as Richard Shelton, and revealed that being Frank Sinatra was quite a serious job for him. Shelton played Frank Sinatra in Rat Pack Confidential in London’s West End in 2002, and earned a nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role by the Manchester Evening News Theater Awards for it. He then wrote and starred in Sinatra and Me for two seasons in Edinburgh. In the later 2010s, he wrote and starred in Sinatra: RAW at the Edinburgh Festival, earning him a nomination for Best Male Performance in a Musical at the Offies. He was even about the same height and suit size as Sinatra.
What a resume! Safe to say, the audience was getting the closest thing to Frank Sinatra we could get in 2025.
Shelton’s voice was such an auditory match for Sinatra’s, but it wasn’t just imitation. You could hear Shelton come through too, clearly demonstrating his own vocal talents while channeling Ol’ Blue Eyes.
That’s why it was an especially memorable moment when Shelton prepared us for the drop of the illusion, and revealed his natural speaking voice, which was fully British accented. It was so jarring, and made it all the more impressive when he turned Sinatra-mode back on.
The tentative program for the event featured:
- Almost Like Being in Love
- Come Fly with Me
- Fly Me to the Moon
- I Get a Kick Out of You
- I’ve Got You Under My Skin
- Night and Day
- The Way You Look Tonight
- Unforgettable
- My Way
- New York, New York
While the focus was on Sinatra, the Nat King Cole features were excellent too.
A better view of the upright bass player in this one.
Fever Events can sometimes be a little cheap in person compared to their luxurious event photos, but this event mostly held up. The Biltmore’s hotel conference chairs were just so-so and the side seating did not look enviable; some venues I would say “there’s not a bad seat in the house” but you’ll note I’m definitely not making that claim here. Most of the audience dressed up at least semi-formal, which was appreciated.
For safety reasons, the candles aren’t REAL candles–imagine the fire hazard! Of course, back in the old days, they probably would’ve had hundreds of wax candles burning and melting together, and that would look a lot more impressive. Of course, back in the old days, things burned down a lot more often, too.
I do have to admit, actually, that the fake candles were still quite captivating in large number. The effect was still pretty nice.
I also enjoy the balance that Fever gives between wanting to enjoy the concert, and wanting to get some content from the concert. It is Los Angeles, after all. The usual rule is that there are no cameras allowed for most of the show, but when the performer announces the last song, THAT’S the point when photography and video recording is allowed. This is great! It allows you to enjoy the vast majority of the concert in the moment, and still get an exciting snippet to share at the end.
In this case, there were actually two “end songs”–or perhaps Shelton announced the final song prematurely? I wasn’t sure. But I recorded parts of both “My Way” and “New York, New York.” I apologize for my occasional cheers in these videos that shift the audio balance. Note also that I was holding my phone camera lower down, at my chest, both so I could still be in the moment myself and so I wouldn’t annoy my fellow audience members–so my view from my seat was a little better than what these videos suggest.
After the show, the audience funneled out slowly. The energy was high and the mood was romantic.
Clearing out.
Shelton was available in the Biltmore hallways, along with some merchandise. I listened to some of his songs later on–he’s quite the talent.
Shelton’s album.
Overall, a really splendid evening. A good impression by Fever/Candlelight and a great performance by Shelton and the band.
Full Cast & Context
Of course, the main performer was Richard Shelton. He was excellent at truly channeling and paying respects to Cole & the Chairman, without turning it into parody.
Fever Events is usually poor about crediting individual band members and performers for each show. The band members’ names are unlisted, and the band is only listed as “Pure Soul,” which itself is just another Fever-operated “musician collective.” I wish I could credit the five great instrumentalists by name here; they were each excellent. Please let me know if you know their names.
Frank Sinatra was born in Hoboken in 1915 and worked his way up from big band singer to solo star. His peak was in the 50s and 60s, and he also was an actor, won an Oscar, ran the Rat Pack, and codified half the Christmas songs we know and love today.
Nat King Cole started as a jazz pianist before his voice made him a breakout star. He was one of the first black entertainers to host a national TV show against intense backlash. His singing was warm, intimate, and personal, and continues to charm audiences today.
One of my favorite detail shots from the Biltmore.
The Biltmore Los Angeles opened in 1923 and has been an anchor for downtown for over a century. It’s famous for ornate ballrooms, old Hollywood energy, and the fact that half the movies set in “historic LA” probably feature it somehow. The place has hosted presidents, Oscars ceremonies, big band dances, and so much more. Stepping inside it feels like walking into a time warp back to the golden age.
