Originally posted to ontheroadagainagain.com on October 24, 2014
Traveling alone as I do sometimes has advantages. Like when you want a last minute ticket to a show there’s often one available in the center of the fourth row. Woohoo!
In only a couple hours the Oak Ridge Boys made me feel like we were friends having a great evening together. These dudes – all contemporaries – had a couple thousand of us clapping and singing along to their big hits like we were at a rock concert decades ago. Pure energy.
The second set had to be delayed because, rather than opening the act with a bang, they casually returned to the stage like they were walking into your living room. Each star took time to personally greet and shake hands with anyone who came down – no exceptions.
Finally, Joe Bonsall announced that it was time to sing Elvira, which brought everyone to their feet. Of course we all joined in, singing “giddy up ba-oom papa oom papa mow mow.”
Realizing that I was witnessing a performance by veterans of the stage, at intermission I looked up their bios. Yes, they’re all about my age (three of them are younger), but the real treat was discovering that I share a birthday with Richard Sterban of “oom papa” fame.
Funny thing about birthday twins – I immediately felt a certain kinship with Richard. Hmmm, I wonder if they’ll still be performing in a year and a half when I turn 75? What fun that would be.
How does one explain a quartet of seniors, who never need to lift another finger, performing night after night for a crowd of people they may never see again? I can’t. But I’m certainly glad they do.