Live: 98 Degress Christmas in Indy
December 12, 2018
Christmas music always starts early every year so why not start Christmas tours early too? That’s what 98 Degrees did when their 98 Degrees at Christmas tour kicked off in November and recently hit Indianapolis.
The last few times the band has hit Indy, the crowd was deafening and rowdy as ever and this was no exception. With no opener, the night got started early and the band took the stage to a roar of excitement from the crowd.
A lot of Christmas shows are strictly holiday songs but 98 Degrees didn’t do just that- they sprinkled in a few of their biggest hits in as well- “Because of You” and “Invisible Man” came early in the set at song number 2 and they threw in “I Do (Cherish You)” as well before adding their other hits to the later set.
It was an entertaining show as the band stopped a few times to take a poll from the crowd about their favorite and least favorite holiday traditions- eggnog, Christmas music before December, colored Christmas lights vs. white Christmas lights, etc., while arguing between each other about who was right and wrong, which led to a roar of laughter from the fans.
They played some traditional classic Christmas Carols and tunes as well as, what they called “bad Christmas songs,” which led to the Chipmunks’ Christmas song and “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” which saw Justin Jeffre doing one of the most impressive impressions from the song.
The guys sounded outstanding and you would have thought it was 2000 all over again but the band has found a way to take the nostalgia factor and throw it out the window, making themselves continue to be relevant and a live show that you want to continue to pay to see each time.
In the end, this was a show that got the Christmas season off right. So many classic songs and traditional favorites were in the setlist that you couldn’t help but feel warm inside watching 98 Degrees interact with each other and sing these songs better than anyone else.
-Reggie Edwards