My older sister introduced me to rock and roll decades ago. I played her albums and 8-track tapes (yes, I’m showing my age) and when I got old enough, she took me to my first concert, Summer Jam 1982 at Arrowhead Stadium. As we aged, music lost it’s hold over our bond and we drifted into more “adult” things like kids and careers. Last weekend, she and I saw Forever Young at The Hughes Brothers Theater and memories of summers spent at her house listening to John Cougar (back before he was John Cougar Mellancamp), Jackson Browne and Journey came flooding back. The show features a small cast of 5 incredibly talented guys in an intimate backdrop of a basement where they spent their high school years growing up and listening to the music of the day. The second act deals with each cast members journey after high school and how they all come back together in the end. When they opened with In My Life, one of my absolute favorite Beatles songs, I knew I was in for a treat. The versatile song list ranged from Black Crowes to Michael Jackson, Three Dog Night to Bon Jovi, Billy Joel to David Bowie, and a little bit of everything in between. Both my sister and I were singing along to some of our favorite hits from the good old days. My sister even went on stage (to her utter surprise) to help the guys out during their rendition of Rock the Boat. While it’s not a huge production, this definitely is not your run-of-the-mill Branson show! The small setting and cast made the show easy to become involved in and a part of. I highly recommend making Forever Young a stop during your next Branson vacation to bring back some musical memories!
