MANIA: The ABBA Tribute • January 16, 2025 • The Depot
Reviewed and Photographed by Kevin Rolfe
When I think of tribute bands, the first band that comes to mind is The Beatles. But in what has to be a close second at this point is ABBA. Over years, I have seen a major increase in the amount of ABBA tribute bands. It’s clear that Utah is a hot spot for ABBA fans. It seems whether it’s a tribute show or a regional production of the ABBA musical, Mama Mia, fans show up to see the songs of one of their favorite bands performed. The Depot was the perfect location for ABBA fans to turn out on a cold Thursday night to be warmed up by this extremely danceable music. The show was a rare seated event at The Depot, but as I’m sure you can imagine, the seats were not used for long or very often.
To be candid, I am a big ABBA fan. I used to call them my guilty pleasure band. But I don’t feel guilty about liking them and whenever something ABBA related happens, I think I’m the first person my friends reach out to. So I own it. I’m an ABBA fan. What goes along with being an ABBA fan, since the band no longer tours, is going to tribute shows and while going to these shows, finding the best tribute bands out there.
There have been several ABBA tribute bands that have stopped through Utah. Some have been great. We have covered many of those. There are some that try hard and don’t quite hit the landing spot. We have been to some of those. But similar to seeing a Beatles tribute that isn’t the best, once you hear those songs, it’s impossible to not get into it. Those who were in attendance at The Depot on January 16, were in good hands with MANIA: The ABBA Tribute. They are definitely one of the premier ABBA tribute bands. Not only have they been doing since 1999, but they do it on a spectacular level.
I actually have my own history with MANIA: The ABBA Tribute. Years ago, I hopped onto YouTube and looked up ABBA tributes. My favorite one I found was some footage of this very group. Now, the band doesn’t give the names of the actual vocalists. So I’ll say that the singer that portrays Agnetha was on the video and I thought her and her counterpart were fantastic.
The thing I liked most about them is while they had the look and sound of ABBA there were a few nuanced things in their vocals and arrangements that allowed them to show off their own talents without straying from what makes ABBA and their sound so great. The YouTube videos have the band mislabeled so I never knew where to find them elsewhere online or on tour. I’m sure you could imagine my surprise and excitement all these years later when I saw the band walk on stage.
The show took very little time to get going. Opening with “Waterloo” the song that made ABBA a hit and the reason we would all eventually know them. The crowd was into it from moment one. MANIA: The ABBA Tribute took to the stage wearing outfits resembling those that ABBA wore when they one the Eurovision song contest in 1974. They were so energetic and engaging with the crowd from the start. I knew they had the crowd where they wanted them. It was fun to move around the venue taking photos and seeing the joy in various people’s faces.
I was really impressed with the variety I found in the audience. There were some that were more obvious ABBA fans. But then there were some I did not expect. There were several groups of young people (like teenager young. Who knew teens were ABBA fans) jumping and dancing together. They sang every word to every song. I was really impressed. My favorite groups are the men who are dragged to the show by their date and have to pretend that they don’t really want to be there or aren’t really ABBA fans. Without fail, I see these men giving in to the music and the moment and dancing and singing along with the rest of us. They try to hard. But the music of ABBA is too powerful to resist.
The two women who sang the parts of Agnetha and Anni-Frid were fantastic. “Agnetha” had all the sparkle and pizazz needed to lead a show like this. From the front row to the top of the balcony, she seemed to connect with the audience in a special way. “Anni-Frid” while more subtle found her space within the show to connect with fans and seemed to have an great time in the process. Both of them had excellent singing voices, and they harmonized really well together. Similar to what I saw in the YouTube video, I enjoyed hearing their actual voices shine through and not just singers trying to sound exactly like the band. They are both very talented.
The thing I find so interesting about ABBA tribute shows is when it comes down to it, it’s not totally necessary to have people portray Benny or Björn. To a certain extent they’re part of the rest of the band. Björn and Benny are the songwriters for ABBA but in these tribute shows, and rightfully so, the women are the ones featured the most. I think it’s great. I thought MANIA: The ABBA Tribute did a good job incorporating their “Benny” and Björn”. The four up from did a good job interacting and seemed to have great chemistry on stage. “Björn” did a band up job taking center stage for “Does Your Mother Know”.
Even with a 15 minute Intermission the night flew by. MANIA: The ABBA Tribute played every hit ABBA song you can think of. And the hits are plentiful. I personally enjoyed “Mamma Mia”, “The Name of the Game” “Super Trouper” and “Take A Chance On Me”. There are too many great moments to mention, but needless to say the night was full of show stopping moments. “Agnetha’s” performance of “Winner Takes It All” was one of the stand out performances of the evening.
The show closed the only way it could. MANIA: The ABBA Tribute returned to the stage after a loud ovation to perform “Dancing Queen”. I didn’t think the audience had another level to rise to, but they proved me wrong. People were having so much fun. That’s what evening’s like these are all about. I’m glad to, in a round about way, be reconnected with MANIA: The ABBA Tribute. I hope they come back to Utah very soon. They seem to have a solid fanbase. They gave us a night of joy and pure fun.
