These days Branson’s ever-changing, ever-growing live performance lineup caters to boomers as well as country music fans. I’m talking hitmakers like Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers and Paul Revere & the Raiders, both of whom I caught live when I was there on a travel writing assigment.

By the way, ya’ll, Mickey Gilley, the Oak Ridge Boys and the Baldknobbers do not float my boat, so Branson would definitely not be the first choice for nourishing my musical muse (San Francisco is more like it). But the Raiders I can dig; I’m old enough to own heavily scratched 45s of classic singles like “Hungry” and “Good Thing.” And while the Righteous Brothers didn’t hold a special place in my youth (the Stones, the Airplane, Cream and Hendrix, yes) their hits were inescapable on Top 40 playlists back in the day. So for me the nostalgia factor was major. Ponytailed Mark Lindsay and frantically frugging go-go girls on “Where the Action Is,” the ultimate high school prom slow dance number “Unchained Melody,” “Kicks just keep gettin’ harder to find,” “You’re my soul and my heart’s inspiration.” Ahhh, good times.
 
I had been invited to take an early morning behind-the-scenes tour of ’57 Heaven, a snazzy collection of beautifully restored, vintage 1957 automobiles on display in the theater building. It afforded an opportunity to purchase a ticket for that evening’s show. And as luck would have it, I scored a front-row seat. Groovy!

After a day of Branson sightseeing I headed back and had dinner at the theater’s AB Grill. The food was just okay, but a wall-to-wall soundtrack of mid-’60s Top 40 classics—and boss memorabilia like Frankie Avalon’s surfboard—was more than enough to whet my appetite for the evening’s entertainment.

Like almost every other theater in Branson, the auditorium at Dick Clark’s isn’t a lavish showplace. It’s strictly utilitarian, a stage and rows of seats. No matter; I was ready to be rocked and rolled along with the rest of the definitely boomer-aged audience. And the anticipatory mood was fueled by vintage “American Bandstand” video clips.

The Raiders opened the show. Organist Paul Revere is the only original member, but a couple of musicians in the band’s shifting lineup over the years have been around for more than three decades. Bill Medley’s son Darrin is now the lead vocalist, adding some heartthrob appeal. Yes, they’re still wearing the Revolutionary War get-ups, and Revere’s comedy shtick is ba-dum-dum obvious. But the group’s goofy antics have always overshadowed their catchy garage rock tunes. Despite the annoying tendency for oldies acts to condense their hits into medleys, my foot was tapping along vigorously to “Just Like Me,” “Indian Reservation” and all the rest.   

It was a shock when Bill Medley walked onstage; boy does the passage of time take a toll. But his rich baritone was intact. Bobby Hatfield ascended to rock ’n roll heaven in 2003, but Medley had the charisma and the vocal chops to make all those hits of yore still sound pretty thrilling. He saved the best for last, a heartfelt “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” that had the women in the audience going wild. Medley didn’t seem like he was just going through the motions, either, which gave his performance some emotional oomph. Branson’s big on personal interaction, so the stars were in the lobby after the show greeting fans, hawking merchandise and autographing well-worn album covers. Of course the scene didn’t have quite the fervor of a Jonas Brothers show, but it was still righteous, brother.  Note: Branson performers move around more frequently than pieces on a chessboard; Bill Medley and Paul Revere & the Raiders are currently appearing at the Andy Williams Moon River Theatre. 

Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater is at 1600 W. SR 76 (the Strip). The Andy Williams Moon River Theatre is at 2500 W. SR 76.