Hello and welcome to the Saturday feature of Labor Day Weekend 2021 here at the Wannaskan Almanac. Today is September 4th.
In the midst of our school preparations and multiple Covid testings (all negative, btw), on Thursday, my husband sent me an email with the subject line: Jedem do Londyna na koncert?? (Should we go to London for a concert?)
I clicked immediately on the link included in the email because I can tell you exactly the number of times my husband has asked me if I wanted to go to a concert in London (or a concert anywhere for that matter) and that is zero.
In our nearly twenty-one years of marriage, I can recall only one concert we've attended. (And no, I'm not counting the umpteen piano recitals or kid band concerts.) Just the adventure of the invitation was enough for me to want to say yes. A concert in London? It could be an Ozzy Osbourne reprisal and I would say yes! It could be a band I've never heard of and I would be game.
But this wasn't just any band he was suggesting we drop everything to go and see. It was ABBA.
My husband loves ABBA. Our middle child loves ABBA. All of our kids can sing ABBA lyrics and break out the Dancing Queen moves as if they'd lived in the 1970s during ABBA's heyday.
After 40 years, the beloved band announced the upcoming release of a brand new album Voyage as well as a new concert series to kick off in London next spring. And my husband really wanted to go.
Of course, I supported him. This is a man who is an intensely frugal saver. He loves to shop, but does so only after hours (and days) of careful consideration and an exhaustive hunt for the best balance of cost and quality. But when ABBA announced they were coming back together again in concert, he was ready to throw his dollars into any pot that would get him a ticket. Fortunately, this was a no-brainer, small-stakes pre-order purchase of the new album. Anyone who pre-orders the album gets a link to access pre-sale tickets.
Yesterday, we daydreamed and relished our chance at catching this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The show will feature 22 songs of greatest hits as well as new songs such as, I Still Have Faith in You, which exemplifies that classic ABBA sound. My husband shared a memory of a chance not taken to see the Rolling Stones in Prague way back in his youth. With the recent passing of Charlie Watts, my husband felt a keen feeling of loss at the missed opportunity. I understood because I had said yes to an Eric Clapton concert instead of my senior prom and have never once regretted it.
The last album ABBA released was in 1981 and the band broke up in 1982. To see these musical legends, now in their seventies, live - in the flesh - well, to miss it would be simply unspeakable. We hopped to planning mode so we'd be ready to purchase those tickets when the website sales opened.
The odd thing about the thrilling worldwide announcement was that the details were kind of vague. All we knew was that the epic excitement kicked off on May 27, 2022. (The Second Oldest's graduation night.) Was this a one-night-only event or would there be other dates? How much would tickets cost? What kind of seating options would we have? Would we be able to find a hotel near the venue? This morning, though, I discovered something somewhat disappointing: this ABBA reunion is not to be a live concert, but an ABBA show.
A "concert residency," is how this Independent article described it. "To accompany their newly revealed album, Voyage, which will be released 5 November, the band will embark on a four-year residency from May 2022 – but with a twist. Instead of original members Bjorn, Benny, Agnetha and Anni-Frid embarking on a world tour, they will instead send digital avatars of themselves to perform to millions of fans around the globe."
This Metro article explained it further. "A concert that has brought all four members together again, the show will include ‘ABBAtars’, four holograms which recorded the actions of all four members as they performed songs [in a recording studio] that will show during the concert...the ABBAtars will be performing in a special, purpose-built arena at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, East London. The ABBA Voyage residency will see the ABBA avatars accompanied by a 10-piece live band, performing in a venue that can seat up to 3,000 fans."
ABBAtars? That sounded cool, right? "Created with George Lucas’ studio Industrial Light & Magic, which is used for the digital effects in Star Wars," I read aloud to my husband from the Independent article.
"But they're not real," my husband lamented.
Yes, the technology will be cutting edge. Yes, it would be incredibly cool to experience the show in the unique arena expressly built for the show. But, was it still worth it to wake up at 4am Central Time this coming Monday to take advantage of pre-sale tickets and to coax our schedules for a quick trip to London if it was only going to be holograms of dear Agnetha, Björn, Benny, and Anni-Frid? Or should we pin our hopes on catching the "animated versions" of the band going around the world from 2022 to 2026?
A live show is a physical experience as much as it is an aural one. Enthusiastic fans swirl around you, occasionally bumping your elbow which makes you spill your drink, or inadvertently stepping on your foot which might make you shriek, yelp, or yowl. But you don't mind because you and these strangers all have one very important thing in common: to revel in the joy of watching your favorite band perform live. There's no substitute for that moment when the lead singer grabs the mic and addresses the crowd, "Hello, New York!" Or Cincinnati, or Minneapolis. Sure they shout sweet nothings to every adoring crowd, but, in that moment, it sure feels like he/she has just greeted you personally, and that, for the next 90 minutes, the band is going to play as if your life depends on their nailing those riffs, jams, and encores. And your body responds. And the body next to yours. And the whole crowd reciprocates the sentiment and erupts into cheers. That's the magic of a live show.
While my husband can appreciate ABBA's wish to be remembered as they were at the pinnacle of their careers in 1979 (and the holograms will do just that), what he wants most is to see them - in their mid-seventies, saggy and old, (or, heck, tight and Botoxed would be fine!) and still singing. Live. Together. In his words, "I want to see their wisdom."
On This Day
Historic Highlights (credits)
Happy Birthday to You!🎶
Remembering You
Cue your favorite music and make it a great Saturday!
Kim
 |
| CREDIT: Press |
Go for whatever you can get - avatars, 4 a.m. and whatever else comes with the package. Behind you all the way. Cheers to Rosta!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your encouragement! Perhaps this could count as the big celebration for our 20th wedding anniversary we had in 2020. :)
Delete