If you want a fun time, go check out some of the best tribute performers around! I'll admit, there's something a bit campy about going to a tribute concert, but I was all-in for it and recently used my birthday as the reason to head over to check it out.
Legends has several venues around the country, and Myrtle Beach is one that has performances year-round. There are 3 levels of tickets, but as the nice lady who answered the phone informed me, "There are no bad seats in the house!" Plus there is a child rate available for those who are 16 and below.
We went to a Saturday evening showing; doors open at 6:45 PM and things got rolling at 7:30 PM, which allowed us some time to hit the concession stand for snacks and drinks. This is not a dinner theater, so be sure to plan to eat before or after. Luckily there are plenty of great dining options at Broadway at the Beach. The concession stand does serve wine and beer, however, and there is a small gift shop with some fun items.
The performance is two hours long, with a 15 minute intermission, and it was packed with entertainment from start to finish. The performers really go full tilt into their sets, and we were particularly impressed with the trio of backup singers/dancers, who were in practically every number!
Our seats were in the first row of the back section, near the sound booth. Right in front of us were some booths with round tables which look to seat two people comfortably. The rest of the venue is theater seating and the chairs have cupholders.
First on deck was our beloved Tina Turner... my 7 year old son (who is currently obsessed with working out and showing off muscles) saw Tina take the stage and proclaimed, "She is ripped!" - well, she definitely needed to be fit to tackle her set. It was non-stop motion straight through.
She was a great opening performer, since she was so high energy - she even said that whatever energy we gave to her, she would give right back. So needless to say we were whooping and hollering and singing along!
Next up was Rod Stewart, and I was honestly surprised how many songs of his that I not only recognized, but actually knew the words to as well! We had a good sing along with him too, though I'll admit that his swinging his mic stand around made me think about it going flying off into the audience. Luckily Rod kept his grip and no stage equipment went airborne!
Barbra Streisand brought her ballads to the stage (along with an impossibly glittery diamond chestplate - I wouldn't call it a necklace!). While I recognized several classics from her catalogue, I was surprised by a couple of the numbers which were up-tempo disco numbers. Babs did not disappoint!
After intermission, the MC announced the special occasions being celebrated that night, from a 15-year-old boy's birthday to a couple's 47th wedding anniversary!
Then Stevie Wonder arrived, first playing at his keyboard, then later owning the whole stage. I was singing along to "I Just Called to Say I Love You," looked over at my husband and was tickled to see him singing along, too. We recognized many of the songs in this set, particularly the funky "Superstition" which got everyone grooving.
Last, but definitely not least, was the King of Rock and Roll Elvis Presley, in the flesh. While my favorite look is 1968 Comeback Special Elvis, followed closely by 1973 Aloha from Hawaii Elvis, this powder blue jumpsuit he wore that night was pretty styling, and the gold lamé was on point! He rocked through several numbers and even flourished his acoustic guitar. Elvis dug into his gospel roots and also took time to thank the active military, first responders, health care workers, and veterans in the audience and sang a patriotic medley. We all really loved that.
The two hour show was over before we knew it and we realized we had been singing along all night. Definitely worth a visit, especially if there are members of your group who are familiar with these artists. However we really enjoyed exposing our kiddos to these different styles of music, and at the end, even the tweens in our party were discussing which performers were their favorite of the night.
Give Legends in Concert a try for a fun night out while you're in town! Check out their website for more information, along with their Facebook and Instagram accounts. Their performers do rotate, so be sure to check who is on the schedule, if you are looking to catch a particular act.
Which tribute artist would you most like to see on stage?