The crowds. The hysteria. The craziness. It was ABBAmania!

We loved ABBA here in the United States. But in their heyday, fans in Australia went absolutely crazy for the group. Crowds would meet their flight at the airport. People would line the streets of their limousine route. Reporters would follow them everywhere.

In the ABBA biography, Bright Lights, Dark Shadows, Agnetha recalled the shock of “facing a screaming, boiling, hysterical crowd” that sent “shivers up and down [her] spine,” and Anna-Frid spoke of being overwhelmed by the hysteria which she described in a single word: “nasty.”

But in the midst of all the madness, there were some magical moments that they enjoyed, too. On one occasion, 25,000 Australian fans stood in the pouring rain at the Sydney Showground to see their favorite band perform.

Here’s how band member Björn Ulvaeus recalled the moment when they stepped onstage and audience responded with an overwhelming, ecstatic cheer, “It almost makes your heart burst. You wonder what you’ve done to deserve this.”

Fortunately, when we'll be playing the music of ABBA this Friday night at the Joliet Area Historical Museum, you won't be surrounded by thousands of screaming fans or pouring rain! Come enjoy the hits and the stories about one of the most successful pop groups ever.