Sunday, August 3, 2008

Train Ride, Shopping, and The Presley's (Wednesday, July 30)

Before we headed to Branson, I had asked many, many people for suggestions on what show to see while I was there. I do enjoy a show. Unfortunately, lots of people seemed to be out of town for the week (the Japanese violin guy, Yakov, even #1 hits of the 60's was not playing at a time when we could go). So, the maintenance man working on our dishwasher (another story, but not a trip highlight) said, "Well, why did you come to Branson? You come to Branson to see a Branson show. And if you are going to see a Branson show you have 2 choices, either The Presley's or the Baldknobbers. Those are the people who made Branson what it is today."

And so, he went on to tell about The Presley's. The Presley family has been playing to audiences in Branson for a very, very long time. They used to play in the caves around Branson, where a stage had been set up that was used for church services and for shows by the Presley family. Soon, so many people were coming to the shows that the family built a theater on Highway 76 in Branson. You got popcorn, a coke, and a comfortable seat in air-conditioning for $1.25.


So, we took the maintenance man's advice and bought our tickets to see The Presley's, and all of us had a great time. There were Presley's aged 3 - 84 on stage, playing every kind of musical instrument possible. It was a great show, but it also made me wonder how a family business like that works. I'm sure there are many more family members than those that I saw on stage, but it just makes you think of what a different life they lead.


So, for all of you bound for Branson...go see The Presley's.

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