Thank you for the music

Thank you, ABBA, for the music. Yeah, I said it, I'm an ABBA fan. And so are a lot of other Pittsburghers, apparently. Let me explain...

Last week, Erin, Gregory and I went to see an ABBA tribute band at the Benedum Center. Maybe their music has gained more popularity recently due to the musical Mamma Mia! (which should not be compared to the movie Mamma Mia!, which was horrendous). But ABBA has always been near and dear to my heart. In fact, the first I ever listened to them was at Erin's house in high school - and I've been in love with "Take A Chance On Me" ever since.

Gregory and I went to see Mamma Mia! the musical in Toronto right after we were married. It was the mini-honeymoon. This is when I introduced him to the beauty of a four-person (two couples) group in white spandex, singing about Fernando and Waterloo. We've been listening to the soundtrack in the car and Ayla is also becoming the avid fan. On her list of favorite songs, it is first "Quiet Girl" (or, more commonly known as "That's Not My Name" by the Ting Tings), second "Mamma Mia" and third, anything else playing on B94. But I'm getting away from the point!

So, I was hooked on ABBA in the '90s... the other people at this concert, however, have probably been hooked since the '60s. I'm guessing this because they were old. Almost all of them. We should have known how this crowd was going to behave by the high percentage of animal print blouses.

The show was great. It was highly enjoyable to see a bunch of Swedes dancing around on the stage in clogs (this was the men, by the way!), pure white get-ups and rocking the keyboard. Two of the original band members were there, playing saxophone and the drums. But, in the end, the show on stage was secondary to the show in the audience.

Erin said she had been to some eclectic shows - but this might have won the award. It takes a special kind of music to make these geriatrics bust a move. Of course there were a few teenage girls who stood up and danced just because they knew they looked cute and were trying to get attention. But the majority of people dancing, clapping, bopping their heads, were very old AND not very rhythmically inclined. The lady in front of us sure did clap along - but she never, not once, hit the beat. That takes a distinct non-skill in listening. But she was loving it!

We had a great time crowd-watching and dancing to the music (on-beat I might add). I'm proud of Pittsburgh and its' ABBA fans.