ABBA The Concert

The legendary pop group ABBA might no longer be recording or touring (although there are rumors), so the closest you'll get is the popular tribute show " ABBA the Concert" which has successfully brought the delight of ABBA's music to hundreds of thousands of fans worldwide.

Coming directly from ABBA's homeland of Sweden, the 10-member act dazzled the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday and featured Matilde Lindell (as Agenthe F�ltskog ), Mia Ternstr�m (as Anni-Frid Lyngstad), Patrick Lundstrom (as Bj�rn Ulvaeus), and Daniel Palm (as Benny Andersson) – the original quartet. As an added treat, the band includes original bassist Mike Watson who toured with the group and can be heard on ABBA's original recordings.

The concert itself, while not the legendary group, is a ton of fun -- it is a gift that unwraps as expected. There are classic costumes, good-natured banter, and, of course, the iconic tunes we all know and love. From "Mamma Mia," "The Winner Takes it All," and "Money Money" to "Thank You For the Music" and "Dancing Queen" the group had the audience bopping in their seats and popping up to dance in the aisles.

To celebrate the final day of Pride month, the show was preceded by a set featuring Menalive, the Orange County Gay Men's Chorus. The infectious group opened with a few songs from "The Greatest Showman" then dove into a medley of oldies from artists that have played the bowl in the past. Of course, they ended with "YMCA" which had some members sporting the regalia of the 70s crooners and had the audience dancing along throughout.

The evening was the perfect way to end Pride Month. But also for those of us who remember the pop group from our childhoods, to relive how much we loved the band and how their music still has the power to infect us with pure joy.

"ABBA the Concert" played June 30th at 8 pm at the Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles. For information on upcoming events, please visitwww.hollywoodbowl.com.

For more on "ABBA the Concert," visit the tour's website.