Photo via Happy Together Tour
Ron Dante
Ron Dante
There’s a simple reason that artists/bands with lengthy histories—The Stones, Alice Cooper, Eagles, Cheap Trick—continue to be top draws on concert tours.
Nostalgia sells.
Offering both a cozy escape to a romanticized past for long-time fans as well as an opportunity for new generations to see artists that were on the charts decades before they were born, tours featuring bands from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s put butts in seats more consistently than many newer artists. (Search “blue-dot fever” if you don’t believe me.)
The undeniable king of the nostalgia tour is (and has been for quite some time) the annual “Happy Together Tour” which rolls into Milwaukee on Thursday, Sept. 3 at the Marcus Center’s Uihlein Hall.
The 2026 edition marks 17 consecutive years of Happy Together and features an interesting roster of returning favorites and guest acts, including:
- Ron Dante (The Archies and The Turtles)
- The Association ("Cherish," "Windy")
- The Troggs ("Wild Thing")
- Jason Scheff (former lead singer and guitarist of Chicago)
- Gary Puckett ("Young Girl")
- The Fortunes (“Here Comes That Rainy Day Feelin’ Again”)
- The Vogues (“You’re The One,” “Five O’Clock World”)
- The Cowsills (“Hair,” “The Rain, The Park, and Other Things”)
The Shepherd Express talked with Ron Dante, the voice of bubblegum hit makers The Archies and long-time music producer, now serving as the “host” of this cavalcade of nostalgia founded by the Turtles’ Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan (also known as “Flo and Eddie”). Kaylan retired in 2018 and Volman passed away last year.
Shepherd Express: Now in its 17th year—why do you think the Happy Together Tour remains so popular?
Ron Dante: I think it's the quality of the songs and the memories that go along with all these hit songs that really never leave the public consciousness. They get used in TV shows, commercials, and movies like “Guardians of the Galaxy.” When they want to depict the ‘60s, these movies and shows always play our songs, the songs we feature in the Happy Together Tour. I think it's the reality that these songs have lasted and continue to have an impact on people.
We’ve just started this year’s tour and it's going gangbusters. We are having so much fun with sold-out shows and the people jumping up and dancing and singing with us.
A lot are repeat people who come to see the show every year and so we get like 50% of the people who have seen it and 50% new people who are just discovering the Happy Together tour. We have 10 more dates than we had last year. In fact, the promoter said they could have tacked on another ten dates, but they didn't want to wear out the performers.
SE: Is touring a challenge for the tour lineup -- considering the “vintage” of the performers? What’s it like?
RD: Yes, it is a challenge, but it's a challenge for younger artists as well. We certainly are older musicians, but everybody's in very good shape. Everybody walks, bicycles and while we're traveling, takes supplements to keep their energies up.
It's a great family that goes out on the road every summer from the Cowsills on up. We all care about each other, and we make sure that everybody's OK and the older members, which I am, are in great health. Gary Puckett, for example, he's healthier than I am and he's in his 80s.
We're OK with the challenge. None of the artists would take it on if they felt they weren't up to it and they couldn't deliver a really top-notch performance. Everybody's delivering their 100% top notch game on this tour. And it's a joy to see all the artists watch everybody else from backstage and cheer every artist on. We want everyone to do well.
SE: The founders and cornerstones of the tour—Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman (Flo & Eddie)—are no longer around. How do you feel about, in essence, “taking the reins” as host of Happy Together?
RD: I couldn't be happier. It's such a great position to step into. They've built this great brand—Happy Together—and people remember the Turtles -- they remember their biggest hit song (Happy Together) especially. For my part, it was a gift 7-8 years ago when Howard Kaylan retired and they both, Mark and Howard, asked me to become the new lead singer of the Turtles. So, for the past seven years, I've been singing the great Turtles songs along with a few of my own hits.
I love being the guy to direct the whole audience to sing “Happy Together” at the end of the show and I will continue to do this as long as they want.
SE: Which songs would you say receive the largest reactions from the Happy Together audiences?
RD: Well, every act gets a great response. From the Vogues who do “Five O’Clock World” to The Cowsills who do “Hair.” Gary Puckett’s “Young Girl” always goes over fabulously. People have a real love for Gary. The audience just rises when he walks out.
I must say The Association has two of the most popular songs ever in “Cherish” and “Never My Love.” I don't think those songs will ever quite ever go away. They are so ingrained in people's minds and when they hear them, they love them. They're played at almost every wedding at some point.
So those are the high, high points. I think “Sugar Sugar” is always well received because it's now a TikTok phenomenon with people singing and dancing to it. People will be pleasantly surprised by how good all these acts are.
SE: I’m a huge Archies fan—I consider some of those songs some of the best pop tunes ever written and recorded. Does it ever bother you that people label The Archies just a “cartoon” band?
RD: I'm never hurt by it. You know, we made this music for younger people. We didn't make it for the 20-year-olds who were into Led Zeppelin and some of the heavier groups of that era. We were making it for young teens, and we hit that market perfectly.
The funny thing is, back in 1969, my other group was called The Cufflinks, and we had a #9 record in the country with “Tracy” that same month, that same week in the trade papers, that “Sugar, Sugar” was #1.
So, I had two different groups in the top 10 at the same time, which is unheard of. It was a really great kick for a singer to have two songs in the top ten. And of course, “Sugar Sugar” was the number one record of 1969. It got more plays and more sales than any of the other records put out that year.
I gotta say one thing quick, Jason Scheff from the band Chicago, who’s killing it on the tour, often mentions to me and the audience that the very first record he ever bought was “Sugar Sugar” and it motivated him to go into the music business… that’s humbling.
SE: Anything else to share?
RD: One last thing, Michael, I have a brand-new EP out called Ron Dante's ‘60s Summer Hits. It's available all over the place, all the streaming services. It just came out and I think people who are into Happy Together would like it. (It actually features Ron’s cover of “Happy Together” – ed.)
The Happy Together Tour, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3 at the
Marcus Performing Arts Center’s Uihlein Hall. For tickets, visit https://www.marcuscenter.org/.
