Explore six musical moments from Opening Day
South Vietnam, October, 1967: On the eve of his death, a young American soldier (Bobby) informs his buddies Megs and Dave that the Boston Red Sox have beaten the Detroit Tigers to win the American League pennant.
Bobby’s lifelong dream has come true: the Sox of ‘67 are headed for the World Series.
Fifteen years later in a rust belt town near Detroit, Megs tries to persuade Dave to keep a few promises they made to Bobby: that when they got back to the States, they would all attend a game at Fenway Park, go out drinking and picking up women, and most importantly, go fishing on opening day of the season (I Know a Little Lake).
In the song Breakfast Beer, Megs proclaims to Dave’s sister Martha the virtues of an ice-cold beer first thing in the morning. Martha gets caught up in his enthusiasm, much to Dave’s disgust.
While Dave sleeps off the effects of an entire bottle of whiskey, Megs watches over him (I’m on Watch) quietly evoking their brotherly bond during the war—and Meg’s hope that he and Dave can move beyond their pain, partly by recalling Bobby.
In Chevy, Megs and Martha imagine what it might have been like to attend their high school prom together. As the excitement and sexual tension builds, Martha withdraws. This triggers old feelings of failure in Megs, and he resorts to old behaviors—smashing a windowpane with his bare hand.
In the finale (In One Short Day) Megs and Martha look back over the day that has just passed, finding the courage and hope to continue into the future, no matter how uncertain.