Two words describe the Swedish group Arrival and its tribute to ABBA — mamma mia!
All that was missing from this spot-on display of ABBA music Monday in the Savannah Center were four persons: Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus and Agnetha Faltskog.
Those are the original members of the band from Sweden that sold nearly half a billion records and inspired a hit musical and two blockbuster films. ABBA broke up in the early ’80s but the music lives on, thanks to the flicks “Mamma Mia!” and “Mamma Mia!: Here We Go Again.”
That movie came out this summer and helped Cher to a comeback in her musical career. She is releasing an album of ABBA covers, including “Dancing Queen,” “The Winner Takes It All,” and of course, “Mamma Mia!”
Arrival covered those songs and has been touring for nearly two decades. The group speaks ABBA’s language, including a thick Swedish accent that somehow vanishes when glamorous singers Tove Lind and Victoria Zetterberg offer ABBA’s multitude of hit songs.
Arrival featured a five-piece band, including guitar, keyboards, bass, drums and saxophone. There were three female backup singers, but the night belonged to the dynamic duo of Lind and Zetterberg.
A disco beat kicked off “Does Your Mother Know,” and then Lind, with flowing blonde hair, combined with Zetterberg on another ABBA staple, “Super Trouper.”
Sometimes, it’s a challenge to figure what made ABBA such a dominant group for a decade, starting in the early 1970s. The group had a way of combining dance, disco, pop and soft ballads into a unique vocal blend and arresting melodies. There can be a bland sameness to some of ABBA’s music, but there also is power and an infectious beat.
“We love ABBA and we’re here to honor their music,” Zetterberg said early in the show. She then asked: “How much do you know about ABBA?”
Like a teacher in music class, Zetterberg explained that the name ABBA comes from the initials of the group members’ first names. There was more history, and Zetterberg should be an expert, as she has been with the group since the early years.
Arrival claims to be the only ABBA tribute band approved by former ABBA members. It has exclusive rights to use official ABBA costumes and original ABBA musicians played with the band.
Zetterberg and Lind changed costumes, appearing in white mini-skirts and long-flowing gold robes.
“This is how we dressed in the ’70s,” Zetterberg said. “The look was a big part of ABBA.”
The duo had the ABBA harmony down pat on such standards as: “Knowing You, Knowing Me,” “S.O.S.,” “The Name of the Game” and “Money, Money, Money.”
A highlight came when Zetterberg sang the first verse of “Fernando” in Swedish and then came back to sing the full song in English.
Villagers Ed and Gayle Gmyrek loved every minute of it.
“We’ve seen the new ‘Mamma Mia’ movie four times,” Gayle said. “She made me go,” Ed joked.
“We just love the way ABBA sings and this show had all their songs,” Gayle said. “It’s music that makes you feel good.”
Tony Violanti is a veteran journalist and writes for Villages-News.com.
