Artist: The Oak Ridge Boys
Venue: Alabama Theater -Myrtle Beach, SC
Date: 9/8/12
Y'all know how I feel about my "boys". The Oak Ridge Boys are my own personal superheroes, just without the dumb looking capes and Robin Hood tights. (Thank God, can you imagine William Lee Golden sporting screaming green tights?) These four men are the epitome of everything that is good about country music - good music, big hearts, dedication to their fans and they are still great after all these years.
We arrived at the theater around 6pm, just about the time that the bus was pulling into the parking lot. Upon exiting our car, the first smiling face I see is Joe Bonsall and that's a smile that makes my heart the warmest. He called us over and took us to the back where the band and crew were grabbing a bite to eat. It was great to be back in the company of these wonderful people after so long. Now speaking of a bite to eat, I have to pay homage to Debbie, the catering queen. She's been catering these shows for awhile and they love her. She's the friendliest, funniest and snarkiest woman I've ever met, besides me. The woman cooks the best food, the kind that makes your arteries harden at the mere thought of her country gravy, mashed potatoes, and fried pork chops. See? You felt them instantly harden just reading that, didn't you? Anyway, we spent some personal time with the "boys" and with the guys in the Mighty Oaks Band before the show and to be honest, I don't think you can find a better group of people if you tried. Chris Golden, I haven't forgotten you :-)
The boys were back and Myrtle Beach was glad to see them based on the full house that was waiting for them when they took the stage. What was amazing to me is the sheer amount of loyal, dedicated fans they have. I recognized several faces in the audience and in the meet and greet from previous shows. That speaks alot about the calibre of artist the Oaks are. People just adore these guys and as you can tell, I am one of those same people. The lights went down, the applause cranked up. What a set they had in store for us tonight, full of crowd favorites and some new material as well. They kicked off the show with "The Boys are Back" and it's my favorite show opener of any band, any time, anywhere. The only way to describe it is bad ass. Yes, the Oak Ridge Boys are bad ass, I don't care what anyone says, I'll fight 'em on it. They launched right into a barrage of hits including "Everyday", "American Made", "Y'all Come Back Saloon", "Ozark Mountain Jubilee" and "Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight". The people sitting next to me were loving this show with all they had in them, singing, dancing, laughing and the sheer joy on their faces was contagious. The Oak Ridge Boys are the ultimate entertainers: they sing, they laugh, they joke and it's obvious in their performance that they absolutely love what they do. That's what keeps fans like me coming back show after show: the enthusiasm and love of music. One of the highlights of the night was when Joe Bonsall stood under the spotlight and performed "Sacrifice for Me", which was only fitting 3 nights before the 11th anniversary of our country's worst terrorist attack on September 11. This song brought on tears, applause and appreciation from us not only as fans but also as families affected in one way or another by the service of our troops, policemen, firemen and others in uniform. Speaking of tears, they were brought to my eyes with the addition of a new song, "I Get To". This song is unreleased as of now, but it's one we all should purchase when it's available. It reminds you what's important in your own life and the things we have taken for granted at one time or another in our lives. The boys seem to be really good at those kind of reminders.
Their set list was just good music, from song #1 to song #23 ... yes I said song #23. They have one of the most comprehensive and entertaining set lists, not to mention one of the longest and there is ZERO filler.
The show ended with a loud, heartfelt standing ovation full of nothing but love and appreciation for four of country's most likeable and talented men and men I am blessed to call friends. If you ever have a chance, I highly recommend attending an Oak Ridge Boys show. It was take you back to the days when country was country and the music is what was most important.
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