November 12, 2021
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
The Paramount Theater
www.artsiowa.com/paramount-theatre/

Check out the TOUR page for all venue and ticket information for upcoming dates.

There are specific venues and towns I am always delighted to see on our tour schedule - each sometimes for their own particular reasons.  The Paramount Theater in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is one of them. The biggest thrill for me on tour is thinking of all my heroes who have graced this stage before me or will be following in my footsteps once we depart for another town. When I arrived at the venue, I saw that 'Kansas' would be performing the following night. I grew up on their music and would have loved to have stayed for an extra evening to see their show, or at least get a T-Shirt. Speaking of T-Shirts, I did come across a few boxes of 'Kansas' T-Shirts that the band would be selling the following evening. Sadly, there was no one there at the time to sell me one.

The Paramount is an exquisitely beautiful theater, and I am proud to be able to perform there. In 2007, it was almost destroyed by a major flood so to see what they have done with the restoration is absolutely breathtaking.  But like many other theaters and venues in which we perform, it is in a town that holds a history for me, where I get to see some old friends and fans. Through the many years of traveling with A1A, I have had the pleasure of meeting many people and developing close friendships and fan-based relationships. Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is one of several towns in Iowa like that, so I have been looking forward to this show.

Since I left Atlanta for this tour, I had not seen my girlfriend Kathy Mullen, so I have been excited to have her and her best friend Libby Lystiuk as special guests at our show. Most of you know Kathy through her years managing A1A and her nonprofit, Mullens Miracles. If you are unfamiliar, I ask you to please check out our website at www.mullensmiracles.org. Kathy and I founded Mullens Miracles after her only son, Eric, took his life in 2018. By the grace of God, and through the miracle of organ donation, Eric was able to save five lives and help many others. Tonight was going to be extra blessed for one of Eric's organ recipients, Greg Murphy, would be meeting us for dinner, accompanied by his very pregnant and lovely wife, Brittany. Being in the presence of organ recipients like Greg and hearing their stories and being so close to them is extraordinarily moving and wonderful. It makes you realize how lucky you are and that you should never take life for granted. If you are not an organ donor, I encourage you to be one, and please check out our website at www.mullensmiracles.org.

In addition to Kathy, Libby, Greg, and Brittany, I was looking forward to meeting up with my old friends Doug Rassler and Ed and Julie Nealson of The Isle of Iowa Parrot Head Club. We all met at a lovely restaurant before the show to eat. It was called Pub 217, and the food was incredible, as was the company. Special thanks to our friend Randy Havlik for organizing the dinner. It was especially great to see Doug. Doug was the leader and frontman for a very successful Trop Rock band called 'The Cedar Island Band' for many years. Due to health reasons, he has recently retired from the band, but he is doing well. Doug has a unique and special place in my heart, for he hosted one of the very last house concerts that Hugo Duarte and I ever gave as The Frozen Gringos back in 2013. But the most treasured memory I have of Doug is that one cold, snowy afternoon in 2013 when he took Hugo and me to visit The Field of Dreams, where we tossed a baseball around in the snow and walked through the frozen, dead cornfields for hours.

Seeing Ed and Julie was fantastic, and it was great to catch up with them also. I will share a hilarious tidbit about Ed and me. The last time ABBA MANIA played The Paramount Ed happened to video our last song of the evening, which is, of course, 'Dancing Queen.' As we were taking our bows to a standing ovation, I spun my lovely wife, Amy, around onstage, lost my footing, and we both fell to the ground. Oops! Nope..not in the script! Being the klutz I naturally am, everyone got a huge kick out of it, and it was the source of much laughter and ribbing for the rest of the tour. I have posted the whole YouTube video below for your enjoyment. Naturally, I was hoping that since we were laughing about it again and we were back at The Paramount, we would not be repeating that performance. Believe it or not, later that evening, when I spun my wife, Hana (Amy was unavailable this year) around after our performance, I almost tripped and fell again! I must admit that it was on my mind as I took her hand and gave her a whirl. That was most likely what did it. Fortunately, we got out of the spin OK, but it was a close call. Aside from that, the only downside of the evening was that the showers ran a lot of water from the stall into the dressing room floor. So those who chose to take a shower went through a substantial number of towels.
​
It was a freezing evening, so after dinner, we ran back to the venue just in time for the curtain call. We gave a fantastic performance, and I got to hang out some more with Kathy and Libby afterward. It was wonderful seeing everyone and knowing that we gave an excellent show for them all to remember. But as it always does, our time ended too soon, and we had to say goodbye just before our tour bus once again drove off into the dark, cold, midwestern night in route to another adventure.
​

November 11, 2021
The Des Plaines Theater
Des Plaines, Illinois
www.desplainestheatre.com/

Check out the TOUR page for all venue and ticket information for upcoming dates.

When I awoke this morning and walked outside, it was cold and raining. I was the first of the band who was up, so I would have the luxury of scoping out the dressing room situation all alone. I do not sleep well on the bus, even though, for the most part, I enjoy the overall touring experience. Once in a blue moon, there will be a comfortable couch in my dressing room on which I can catch a quick nap, but generally not. Luckily, although they were in a different building than the stage, the dressing rooms were only a stone's throw from the bus, which was about the same distance from the dressing room door to the backstage door. The Des Plaines Theater is a very new venue, nine days old to be exact, so we have not played here before. We are only the 9th act, but they already have a stellar lineup of artists who have come in with a great lineup already booked for the months ahead. We were all excited and curious about this venue because it is the sister venue to the famed Arcada Theater in St. Charles, Illinois. So we knew come what may, we would most likely have a great time.

Upon entering the dressing room area, I noticed it was clean and new. It was, in a way, laid out like an old 1950's malt shop. Red and White cushioned covered tables accompanied nice Formica tables, and there are even a couple of cool booths with red leather, the kind you might have found inside a 1957 Chevy. With hot coffee and breakfast snacks laid out, I felt we were off to a good start.  

My dressing room was tiny but comfortable, with three plush chairs, any of which were nap-worthy (I did not get one). By this point of the tour, we all have our routines down and get things moving rather quickly. Upon securing my dressing room, the first thing I do is to pull out my laptop, notebook, pen, paper pad, and Ipad. I then pull out my cosmetics, tidy up a bit, and see if the wardrobe suitcases have been unloaded from the trailer. I then locate my garment bag, take out both wardrobes, examine them and hang them up. Occasionally, my act 2 outfit will need steaming, so I always make sure a steamer is on location for me to use later in the day. 

I feel the need to add here that there is one significant difference for me on this tour than on all previous tours I have done with ABBA MANIA. It is the sad fact that I have spent almost all of my time in my dressing room when I am not at soundcheck or eating. A large part of this is due to my decision to write these tour blogs. While I enjoy writing them, they take up a lot more of my time than I had initially thought they would. Add the A1A and other business and other increasing responsibilities that need to be tended to back home, and I am already behind before my day starts. Not to mention all we have to do to get ready for the show daily. In tours gone by, it has always been my main priority to spend as much time as I possibly can outside walking around, getting some exercise, and taking advantage of the fact that I get to travel to so many different towns. If I continue these blogs on my next tour, I will have to find a way to get more of that in. It is personal time for me which I desperately need out here to stay focused, healthy and balanced. Something which is already very difficult for me as it is. But alas, I did indeed once again spend the day in my dressing room when not in soundcheck. Which by now is not taking a long time at all once Sean and Andrew have everything set and ready to roll.

Everyone at the venue was very kind, as expected. They fed us well, and yes, there were also tons of sweets that I was able to avoid. We all took our time eating, and before we knew it, showtime was upon us. There was a big buzz about our performance tonight, and upon entering the backstage area, we could feel the excitement. The first set was very well received, and we kicked it hard. The stage looked great, and I especially liked the huge LED screen on the back wall. Todd wanted the main four of us to shoot a couple of quick promotional videos for upcoming tours before our second set, so we managed to get those in before we rushed out for set two. 

As I have mentioned before, another enjoyable aspect of touring for me is that I can see many friends and fans I have made over the years through A1A. Many who are spread out all over the country. Tonight I was excited for my good friend Susan Hart. I have known Susan going on close to 25 years, I believe, and she never misses a show when I am near her, whether it is A1A or ABBA MANIA. I always spend some time with her before and after the show, and I  look forward to it every year. Thank you again, Susan, for coming to the show! xoxo

Once Susan left, it was back to my routine. Pack my clothes up as quickly as possible, head out to the bus sprinting past the aftershow food and crawl directly into my bunk. Bedtime for Bonzo Benny. Lights out. Another night of disco madness behind me. 
​

November 10, 2021
The Blue Gate Performing Arts Center
Shipshewana, Indiana
www.thebluegate.com

Despite the fatigue of the past couple of days of unexpected bus time, the extreme comfort of my cozy hotel bed, and many pillows, I still did not sleep very well. I knew I had a lot of work to do online, so I was up by about 4:00 am, nothing unusual. It was a gorgeous day, and the rest of the band walked about the lovely little town of Shipshewana and got in as much 'day off' time as possible. I was very tempted to go, but I had too much work to get done, so regretfully I remained held up in my hotel room glued to my laptop. 

When I checked out at 11:00 am, I walked directly next door to the venue, which is just as beautiful as the hotel we stayed at but a lot bigger. One of the gentlemen who worked there gave me a brief tour and was very kind. After checking out the stage and taking a quick brisk walk outside, I located my dressing room and proceeded to set up my daily office before getting my wardrobe together and ready for the show. 

The day went fast, and the sound-check went well. Steve Harvey from Clearwing made a surprise appearance to help Andrew and Sean work out some bugs in the system, so it was very good to see him. He also stayed for the show, so that was another unexpected pleasure for us.

After sound-check, dinner was served, and I believe this particular dinner will go down in Abba Mania history as the most incredible meal we have ever had on tour. At least that was the unrivaled opinion of Chris Blackwell, and he has experienced enough of them to be an uncontested expert on the subject.  I believe if you had given him a choice between a winning lottery ticket and tonight's dinner, he would have taken the dinner. I am doing my damndest not to eat a lot out here, but I did try the meatloaf, and holy Mother of God, it was indeed the best meatloaf I have ever had. With all of the divine praise bestowed upon our food and the amazing 'Chef Jeff' who prepared it for us, I found it quite difficult to push myself away from the table. I am sure we all did, for when showtime was upon us, we were all still relatively stuffed.

The hall was beautiful, and as usual, Andrew and Sean had the stage looking like a million dollars. The show was not quite sold out, but it was close. I think the only drag was that most of the audience members were much older than we usually get. That is not a problem, per se, but after a big meal, we found it a little challenging to summon more energy to get them moving and ready to be dancing kings and queens. But when we did, everything went great. 

Of course, there was good food provided after the gig, but by the grace of God, I was able to avoid it. By now, the habit of changing clothes and going directly to my bunk has, for the most part, helped me avoid the after-show munchies. So, friends, in closing, I have to say that if you ever have the opportunity to spend a day or two in Shipshewana, Indiana, I highly recommend it. I certainly hope we can return. Lights out. Bedtime for Benny. 

November 9, 2021
The Bus and The Holiday Inn
DeForest, Wisconsin
Shipshenawa, Indiana

Check out the TOUR page for all venue and ticket information for upcoming dates.

Sleep is a phenomenon and necessity of life that has always evaded me. Looking back through the years, I have found that I sleep ' my best', and I use that term loosely when alone in a cold hotel room or on a plane. So a night alone in a Holiday Inn is not as bad for me as it is for many people that I have known throughout my life. The Holiday Inn, as I had mentioned where we stayed last night, was nice and clean, and the bed was quite comfortable. Ah, pillows. I love pillows. I forgot to mention that I love pillows. I have to have a lot of pillows. Did I mention pillows? So that is another blessing for me of staying alone in a hotel room with two double beds. I get lots of pillows.

Anyway, after checkout, we all went outside to meet our next new bus. Like the ones before, she was a beauty, nice and clean and ready to roll. Yet I have to admit that as I patted her on the way in and said under my breath, "Come on, baby, hold together," I felt a little like Han Solo talking to the Millineum Falcon in Star Wars. Just for good measure, I did a full search for Princess Leia. Unfortunately, she was not to be found. The girls had already been out, and Alison told me she had bought me a little gift that she had left in my bunk. I was very excited and happy to receive my gift! To make sure you are paying attention, dear reader, I am going to make you search for it in the blog pictures posted below. :-) See if you can figure it out. Hint-it should not be very difficult.

Well, we were all anxious to get on the road to Shipshewana, Indiana, so we could at least enjoy one day off. But before we could do that, we had to go pick up the trailer full of equipment, which was still at the garage. After securing our trailer, we spent way too long picking up supplies at Wal-Mart. So by the time we got packed, situated, and on the road, it was several hours past the time we had planned on getting out of town, and we still had a very long drive ahead of us. The drive was not a short one, and it took us a lot longer to get to Shipshewana than we thought. Once again, by the time I got into my room, it was about 9:00 pm. So sadly, we missed our two days off in Shipshewana. Once we arrived and saw just how amazingly darling the hotel, our rooms, and the town were, we were even more bummed. Thankfully, we were playing directly next door the following day, so there was the option for those who wanted to get up early and get out and about before soundcheck. Some of the band members went out in search of late-night food. I just got into my PJs, did a little reading, and turned the lights out in hopes that I would sleep through the night. Welcome to Shipshewana, Indiana.

November 8, 2021
The Bus and The Holiday Inn
DeForest, Wisconsin

Check out the TOUR page for all venue and ticket information for upcoming dates.

I think most people who are not traveling musicians may view 'the bus' as a mystical and coveted place of freedom, fun, guiltless unaccountable abandon, an illusion of success and, a place to enjoy free time and travel on the road at someone else's expense. While some of this can be true, and for some more than others, like most things in life, you have to experience it personally to appreciate it or put up with it for what it is. What you get out of it all depends on your ego, assumptions, and expectations. Most importantly, if you want to survive, being a considerate, professional team player, taking care of yourself, and being dedicated to your music and touring life are crucial. Countless books and music has been written about life on the road, and I may expand on this topic in a later blog, but for the sake of the story, I will leave it here for now. If you seriously want to know what life on the road as a rock and roll musician can do to you if you don't plan your life correctly, I highly recommend the musical masterpiece by Frank Zappa entitled 'Joes Garage - Acts 1,2 and 3. ' I first heard it when I was 18. To this day, it is still one of my top 10 favorite albums of all time. I should have paid more attention. Be careful what you wish for.

Ok, I did not mean to get into all that, but I did so I could tell you this.  While the bus may seem magical (ask The Beatles), they are just a vehicle, and they can have a habit of going South at precisely the wrong moment. Those of you who have been following my blog here know that we started our tour with serious bus issues from day 1. This is not the first time, and every touring band has its bus horror stories. It is just part of being on the road. 

Well, we were all looking forward to two days off on November 8 and 9 in the adorably beautiful little town of Shipshewana, Indiana. None of us had been there before, and we did not know what to expect, but we had heard wonderful things. If for nothing more than a comfortable bed and a warm shower, we highly anticipated 48 hours of luxurious freedom. We left after the gig in Ironwood, Michigan, the night before at midnight, with all of us looking forward to checking into the beautiful hotel early the following day. As usual, I awoke very early, and upon looking at my GPS, I noticed that we were still 5 hours away from our destination. Uh oh...

To make a long story short, for the sake of this blog, we sat on the bus most of the morning while Dave, our very resourceful, cool, and dedicated driver, looked for a garage that could fix our bus. Once we found one, we spent the rest of the day and early part of the evening on the bus inside a garage (and no, it wasn't Joe's). Once it was decided that the bus would not be fixed any time soon, Todd (Our esteemed manager and extraordinarily resourceful and generous leader) booked rooms for all of us at the nearest hotel in DeForest, Wisconsin. It turned out to be a nice and clean Holiday Inn. So we all made lemonade out of our lemons and hunkered down in the Holiday Inn for the night. We were all drained and frustrated, but that is life on the road some time. I finally got into my hotel room around 9:00 pm. Being too beat to work, I surrendered and ordered some soup and salad through Uber Eats and indulged myself in reading and Netflix before calling it a night. ZZ Tops 'Waiting For The Bus' ominously played around and around inside my head all night.... 

"Home is where the heart is...on the bus" - The charming Mary from Canoga Park.
Frank Zappa - Joes Garage

November 7, 2021
The Historic Ironwood Theatre
www.ironwoodtheatre.net

Check out the TOUR page for all venue and ticket information for upcoming dates.

Music is about a lot of things. Textbooks, teachers, and universities will never run out of something to teach about the art of making, creating, reading, understanding, and appreciating music. Be it to say you could learn everything about music in two lifetimes would still be far from the truth. There are so many magical things about the art of music. One of the most intriguing and unique truths about music is that you will never absorb it all, and there will always be something to learn. But know this, you can take all of the centuries of acquired knowledge about the art of music and condense it down into one word. That word is 'connection.' Music is about connection, pure and simple - physical, emotional, and spiritual. Music is about connecting with your instrument, connection with your emotions, connection with your spirit, and connection with God. But I feel, most importantly, a connection with another human being and your audience. 

The changes in everyone's lives brought on by Covid-19 are many. I feel one of the most significant changes is that most of us now have a more profound respect for human connection—especially musicians who perform in front of an audience for a living. Many musicians such as myself enjoyed the technical progress made by being able to do 'live streaming' concerts during the lockdown. Many of us were lucky enough to make new fans, connections, and even some money. When it is all said and done for the audience and musician alike; however, there is nothing like performing in front of a live audience and connecting with people, and when you tour, you can meet a lot of people. It is important musicians take the time to get to know and appreciate the people who allow them to make music for them.  

We first played The Historic Ironwood Theatre in 2019 in the dead of winter. I will never forget it because I trudged around through the snow and ice, taking many photos of the small tourist town covered in about 6 feet white. None of us could believe that anyone would venture out to see us perform on a night like that, but bless the Disco Ball Gods, they sure did, and they all had a fantastic time. 

This time around, there was not a snowflake in sight (no political jab intended.) The sky was clear, and low and behold, it wasn't freezing cold! Which meant I could now walk around town without freezing my arse off. Bruce, the stage manager, showed me around the large dressing room area downstairs, and then I grabbed my headphones, put on my coat, and headed out the door for a long walk. You would have to be living under a rock to know that ABBA has a new album out. It is entitled 'Voyager,' and it is their first album in 40 years. I have not mentioned it up until now because this is a huge event, and I have A LOT to say about it. I promise to get to it in great detail in a future blog. But for now, it would be my soundtrack as I walked around Ironwood, breathing in the crisp cool air and finally getting some outdoor exercise. It felt so great to walk alone outside, get some exercise, listen to music again, and new ABBA music at that!!!

At the end of my walk, I was not ready to go inside yet, so I took a seat in the new park across from the venue to relax and enjoy the day when a man I did not recognize at first came up to me. It turned out to be Vic Calore. Vic is responsible for bringing ABBA MANIA to The Ironwood Theater in 2019 and again today in 2021. He is a huge fan and a great guy. We became better friends over Facebook after our show in 2019, and it was great to see him again in person and spend some one-on-one time with him catching up. Later that afternoon, I had the tremendous pleasure of meeting his lovely wife, Zona. Zona and Vic had gone to great pains to bring us an incredible lunch and dinner. Entirely homemade Italian and some of the best food we have had on the tour. I can still taste it. Their conversation was just as wonderful as the food, so I want to send one more big thank you to Vic Calore and his wife Zona for making me and the rest of the band feel so much at home and for giving so much of themselves to us during the short time we were there. 

Ok, I have mentioned this before, but I will no longer have to discuss it with any luck. Even though we had made headway during our last sound-check, we were still having difficulties with our in-ear monitor situation, making performing to the best of our ability more difficult than it should be. So Sean, our very talented and committed sound guy, all had us hunker down one last time for a long sound-check to beat the technical gremlins to death for good. I am sure it has already crossed your mind that this blog is going rather long, so I will make it short and give you the good news. Sean fixed it! The girls were happy! I was happy! The band was happy, and everything was finally working as expected! God bless the Gods in White Satin! Tonight's show would rock! And rock, it did! We even had an incredibly hip organist open up for us on the 100-year-old organ that has been a part of the theater since it was built. I was exercising with Hana on-stage, and right before I left to get dressed, he went into a swinging old-time version of 25 to 6 to 4 by Chicago. You don't hear that every day. 

Ok, to wrap things up here, the show went great, our in-ears sounded perfect, and the audience loved us. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to say goodbye to Vic and Zona after the show, but that is just life on the road some time. I feel confident we will return, and when we do, I am sure there will be an ample supply of great food, conversation, and music to be shared. Turn the page....​

November 6, 2021
The Capitol Theater Civic Center
Manitowoc, Wisconsin
www.cccshows.org

Check out the TOUR page for all venue and ticket information for upcoming dates.

As I exited the bus this morning in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, I was struck once again by the bitter cold and deeply regretted not packing heavier winter clothes. But once I entered the backstage area, I felt better. Hearing and watching the stage being put together and the smell of the greasepaint and roar of the crowd, I suppose. Even for only a month or two at a time, touring affects me in many different ways. Sometimes I feel strong and totally at home, and other times, I feel fragile and like I am floating alone through space. My emotions, state of mind, and grasp of reality out here can change at any given moment rather quickly. I could expand on that, but I believe it may be a subject best suited for its own blog or most likely for a conversation with my therapist. I wasn’t sure if we had performed here before. But to be honest, as much as you hear from touring artists that every day, face and venue rolls into one when you are out on the road and that you lose track of space and time, well, if you trust me, then I am here to tell you that all of that is true, from my perspective at least. 

The year 2021 marks the 100th Birthday of The Capitol Theater, now called The Capitol Civic Center. It has been beautifully restored. Again my mind immediately time travels to wonder about the performers who have graced this stage before me since 1921. I could spend all day thinking about those things and often have. But since free time for me is, even more, a rarity on this tour than usual, I put those thoughts aside for another time and descended the age-worn steps to the cold dressing rooms below. Like many ancient theaters, there were numerous dressing rooms to choose from, both large and small, so I was again able to commandeer a small, isolated, cozy dressing room at the end of the hall where I spent most of the day. The major coolness of my dressing room at The Capitol Civic Center was the personally autographed photos of Johnny Mathis and Harry Blackstone Jr., which hung directly to my left and right. Also, the convenience of my dressing room is less than a one-minute walk to the stage. The stage walk was cool and short, but I must be honest. I was very tempted to pack Johnny in my bag when I left, but of course, I didn’t. 

As I have mentioned several times, we have had continuous technical gremlins that keep coming back to haunt our in-ear monitor mixes. With all of our patience wearing a little thin, be it nobody’s fault, we decided to again take as much time at sound-check as possible to fix this all too important problem. Personally, I was not having a good day and became very frustrated and almost angry, which rarely happens to me onstage. But I took my in-ears out, took a deep breath, counted to 20, and resumed to the task at hand. Technology can provide magical conveniences, but it can also bring with it problems and growing pains that make you question whether or not it is worth it. I was in that boat at the moment and did not like it. Like some of the previous sound-checks, most of the problems were resolved. But we all agreed once again to take as much time as needed the following night in Ironwood, Michigan, to make sure that everybody is completely happy with their in-ear mix and that all the gremlins are gone. An audience must understand that what they are hearing is generally NOT what the musicians onstage need to hear to bring about their best performance. And if a musician cannot hear what they need to hear on stage, or their mix is very unsatisfying, the performance suffers every time. So, making sure that everyone’s mix is perfect is highly critical to a good show. 

So, on with the show, and what a show it was. Alison and Hana never cease to amaze and impress me. They have a command over their voices, performances, and an audience that never fails. They always deliver, and never is an audience left not wanting more of them. The view I have from behind my piano is one I cherish and respect greatly and look forward to experiencing each night. I must reiterate that I am blessed to be surrounded by such incredible, grounded, professional, and drama-free musicians. They really are a fantastic bunch. 

I had an extra treat for me tonight, which lifted my mood substantially. I received a text and a photo during the intermission from a very dear and long-time friend who I have known for over 34 years. She and both of her daughters were in the audience! They drove 4 hours from Minnesota to see me perform, and I was quite surprised and elated. Ok, now here is an excellent example of how I get frazzled out here. She had told me 2 or 3 times previously that they would be here – and I forgot. Bad Benny. Very bad, Benny. Bad bamboozled Benny. Unfortunately, they had to drive back after the show, so we only got to spend about 30 minutes together. Still, it really made my evening. It always warms the heart to see old and dear friends. Now it was time to see if I could find some more of those friends in my dreams. So off to the bus and the bunk I went. Sleep tight, and don’t let the disco bed bugs bite. 



​

November 5, 2021
The Genessee Theatre
Waukegan, Illinois
www.geneseetheatre.com

Check out the TOUR page for all venue and ticket information for upcoming dates.

Tonight’s show is at the gloriously beautiful Genessee Theatre in Waukegan, Illinois. As I have mentioned previously, this is the first fall tour we have done in several years, so it is odd but refreshing to be experiencing the towns in which we have previously played in their beautiful fall colors. The last time we were here, it was freezing, and there was an ample amount of snow on the ground. I assumed it would be a tad warmer, so I did not bring an arsenal of winter clothes, which means it has been too cold for me to walk outside for more than a few minutes. I am still waiting on a perfect day. 

I love this theater. It is beautiful, impeccably well-kept, and run and has hosted an endless number of shows. To further entice the autograph fanatic in me, the first thing you see when you walk into the downstairs of the building in the back, which leads to the dressing room area, is a long white hallway. Both sides are covered from the bottom to the top with autographs of entertainers who have performed here. Of course, the first time I was here with ABBA MANIA, I spent way too much time going through all the autographs and taking photos of the ones that impressed me. Like my old pictures of The Arcada Theater in St. Charles, Illinois, I need to go back and find those old pictures and repost them when and if I find the time. 

It is always a welcomed treat to walk off the bus into a venue and discover an excellent array of food waiting for you. This isn’t always the case, but the Genessee Theater always delivers. They have a large dining area on the basement level that is well stocked for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Of course, at every venue, there are always good and bad nutritional choices, and it is up to you to decide which road to take that will inevitably determine how tight your satin pants will fit in the coming days. For those of you who know me or at least follow me on social media, you are aware that I try and do my best to eat healthily, stay fit, exercise, walk at least 15,000 steps a day, and make the right choices when it comes to controllable health decisions. It is difficult at home, but it is even more so out here on the road, believe me. I do a good job, but I have my weaknesses, and sometimes the cookies and the chocolate do win. You would be surprised at the number of people who do not realize how physically demanding it is to do what we do for a living. If you aren’t in your best shape, then not only does your mind, emotional health, and body suffer, but your creativity and stage performance also does. What you eat and how much you exercise matters a lot, and there is not much time out here when your schedule is packed with shows, so you have to stay diligent and consistent as much as possible. 

There was a beautiful park and river to walk directly behind the theater, but it was still a bit too cold for me, so I decided to spend the afternoon in my dressing room catching up on business and getting a little rest before sound-check. Soundcheck took a wee bit longer, for we found some of the gremlins coming back to haunt our in-ear monitor mixes again, but we managed to get them manageable for the most part and were able to finish up with ample time to rest up before dinner. 

By this time of the tour, our performances are relatively locked in, and things are rolling smoothly with rare an incident onstage. Such was tonight's performance. We had a packed house, and we gave a terrific show. Alison and Hana are simply amazing, and the band is always knocking it out of the park. Believe it or not, the performances can be so consistently outstanding that occasionally I forget just what incredible talent I am surrounded by in both ABBA MANIA and A1A. In battling that demon, I do my best to have a strong attitude of gratitude, both on and off the stage. After the show, I continued my usual routine. I cleaned up, changed clothes, and strolled briskly through the cold out to the bus. Once there, I headed straight for my bottom bunk, bypassing the chocolates, pizza, and cookies, and turned out the lights in hopes that positive and happy rock and roll dreams would find me.
​

November 4, 2021
The Arcada Theater
St. Charles, Illinois
www.arcadalive.com

Check out the TOUR page for all venue and ticket information for upcoming dates.

For me, one of the most fulfilling aspects of touring with such an incredible show like ABBA MANIA is all of the remarkable and historical stages I get to perform on.  From intimidatingly large Performing Arts Centers to 100-year-old historical theaters and very hip rock clubs. I love to spend time going over a venue's history to see whose feet have graced the stage before me and whose music has filled the space that ours will soon occupy. I wanted this life probably before I was even too old to realize it, and as I get older, I feel that, unfortunately, I have spent more time being a "fan" than I have put into being a musician. :-(

Tonight's venue is a small theater in St. Charles, Illinois, which dates back to 1926. It has a very long history as a theater and even has a mystical hidden speakeasy that still exists on the second floor. Like many of the venues we perform in, countless numbers of my heroes have graced the stage. I spend a lot of time thinking about these things when I am in the venue, especially when I walk out on stage to perform - every night - every time - every venue.

The walls of the dressing rooms are littered and crammed with autographs of entertainers who have played here before. It is very cool. The first couple of times I played here, I took a LOT of photos of the autographs. Thinking back now about all of the pictures I have taken on ABBA MANIA tours over the past seven years, I deeply regret not doing these blogs all along. Perhaps if I can find the time, I will dig back and try and find a lot of old photos to add to my blogs on venues like The Arcada Theater. They are all well worth seeing.

So back to the present. Well, as we all know, nothing lasts forever. When I entered the downstairs dressing room area, the first thing I noticed was that they had upgraded and made some significant improvements. I was very excited until I went up and entered the main lobby area, where countless historical autographed photos and artifacts once hung on the wall. I was shocked to discover that they are in the middle of remodeling and painting over everything to make it more 'modern.' I was very disappointed to see what I thought was a great part of the history of the theater now being glossed over. They even gutted some of the rooms and were adding on to make things a little bigger. All of this made me very sad, but the addition of Led Zeppelin, Kiss, Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, and AC/DC pinball machines did make the changes a little easier to swallow. :-)

Anyway, the staff there are absolutely incredible. Everyone at The Arcada treats us very well, feeds us like Kings and Queens, and we always hate to leave. On top of that, the audiences are consistently off the chain and excited to see us. Then closing out the night at the speakeasy upstairs is the perfect treat, right before we make our way out in the cold to the excitement and anticipation of what the next town and venue have to offer us. I look forward to returning...so I can play the KISS pinball machine. :-) :-)

November 3, 2021
The Grand Theater
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
​www.thegrandoshkosh.org

Check out the TOUR page for all venue and ticket information for upcoming dates.

As predicted, my sleep was indeed haunted with nightmares, and once again, I was up early. Too early, of course, but that is just how my body likes to roll, whether I like it or not. After all I have tried to help me sleep through the years, it is pretty clear that I do not have a sayso in it. Anyway, since I was up early, I did my best to get as much work as I could get accomplished all day before we had to leave for the venue at 3:00 pm. 

The bus ride over was fun, for somehow, we all found ourselves packed in the back of the bus, sharing stories and laughing. Again, having the luxury of doing two nights in the same venue does indeed have many perks. Not feeling quite as rushed and being able to relax does wonders for the morale and everyone's performance. 

Soundcheck was at 4:00 pm, but I needed a coffee fix first. I found a quaint little coffee shop just down the road which had a great cold brew. I was relieved it was top quality, for it took them a long time to get my order to me, and I was almost late for soundcheck. Not that it would have mattered, for Benny needs a buzz before he beats on the black and whites. (I am talking about piano keys here, not people. No need to get offended) Soundcheck went with little incident, for we had everything pretty much dialed in from the night before. A few tweaks here and there, and we were good to go. 

After soundcheck, I retreated to my cozy, warm little dressing room to get some rest and some more work done before our 7:30 show. The dressing rooms in the basement area are like a small maze, and again, quite haunted. So when I was walking them alone after the show, I did feel a bit nervous. I kept waiting for a robust cold chill or a tap on my back. Through my conversation with Jim the night before, I learned that the most active ghost in the theater is "Percy," the original stage manager from many, many decades ago. He never does any harm, but he likes to make his presence known from time to time, especially around the stage area. He also told stories of a little girl and a dog that also show up from time to time.

We took the stage tonight with a bang and never let the audience go. The Abba Maniacs was fantastic, and so were we. This is a good thing because band management was video recording the entire show for promotional material, and the venue was live-streaming the show on their website for paying customers. Ok, now before many of you become upset about the live stream, you have to know that we did not find out about it until about 30 minutes before showtime. To the few people we knew who were able to purchase a ticket and watch it, all of the reviews were stupendous. We are keeping our eyes and ears open to see if there is a way we can offer that to our audience again - stay tuned.

So, the curtain falls after the final bow, and Alison turns around and is freaking out. She has a small hat very firmly pinned to the back of her hair. It is on tight and will not come off until those pins are taken out. So, directly before the curtain closes while still on stage, she feels the hat completely come undone and snap forward. She says it felt just like someone undid it and popped it forward with force. It has never happened before, so she believes without question that it was 'Percy.' Of course, so do I. :-)

After the show, when I was all cleaned up and my wardrobe was packed, I still had a couple of hours before the bus left. The square we were parked on was so beautiful, more so in the fall than winter. I felt a bit melancholy, so I decided to battle the cold and walk around for as long as I could stand it and get in my steps. I am glad I did, for it helped get my mind off ghosts and things that go bump in the night (or onstage) and back to thinking how blessed I really am to be able to travel with such amazing people and to do what I do for a living. There are big highs and big lows, but it is a huge blessing to be a working musician and part of this band. A little gratitude never hurt anyone. Ok, Benny is tired, and I need my beauty rest. Sweet dreams....
​