“Jeerk” is five multi-talented young men from Sweden. They’ve performed all over the world. How they landed in Branson, I don’t know. But there they are, performing nearly every day from mid-March to the end of October. They were voted Best New Show in 2010. We attended their 10 am show on July 27.

They describe Jeerk as a “rhythm artist group.” Their show is a high-energy concoction of tap dancing, Stomp-like percussion, humor, and music.

At the core, they are tap dancers. When they need to recruit a new member, I imagine that the first thing they look for is superior tap dancing skills. The show opens with probably ten minutes of tap dancing. Much of their tap dancing includes the moves we’ve all seen before…and yet, it’s different, wrapped in an edgy package.

They come out dressed in very contemporary outfits resembling pajama pants with patches all over them, and modify that basic attire throughout the show. Each member takes a turn talking to the audience. All five guys have great personalities and senses of humor. They seem like a really fun bunch of guys.

While tap dancing is their core strength, the other is percussion. They can turn most any object into a percussion instrument. One song was done in the dark with metal cigarette lighters—flicking the flame, and snapping the metal hinged caps open and closed. They blew into bottles, banged on miscellaneous containers. One song found them all on stage with walkers—yes, the kind old people use to get around—banging them on the wood flood in unison. In another, after a video set-up, they all barged in through a side exit door wearing hockey gear and banged the sticks around.

It was all very creative and flawless in execution. I loved it.

They were also a very good rock band. One guy was a superb keyboardist, another a very good drummer, and another a kick-butt lead guitarist. They did several straight-up rock songs.

Jeerk is aimed at a younger demographic. My Dad went to this show, and he liked it…but didn’t love it. Mom just decided to stay in the hotel room. I know she wouldn’t have liked it. I, however, loved Jeerk and would gladly see it again.

Branson shows are known for their patriotism and Christian values. While the show was certainly wholesome in every way, there was no patriotic or Christian element (hey, these guys are from Sweden, remember). But if they had tried to inject these elements, it wouldn’t have fit. The show they presented was brilliant, and I left amazed at their creativity.