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Soulful. Passionate. Tender. Smooth. Magical. These are just a few words to describe the intangible energy that vibrated off the stage to the audience at TD Garden on Wednesday night.
The Pentatonix World Tour 2016 surpassed even the most dedicated fans’ expectations with their flawless performance that included too many top hits to count.
The night opened with the talented and beautiful power couple, Carissa and Michael Alvarado of Us The Duo. Beginning with “Goodbye Forever,” Carissa let her sultry voice take over while her husband, in a relaxed ponytail-bun updo and black zip-up jacket, hunched intensely over the keyboard.
The piano provided the perfect jazz-infused undertone as Michael’s fingers expertly bounced off the keys in the couple’s rendition of The Beatles’ “Can’t Buy Me Love.”
Next up, the new Us The Duo song “Safe” began with Carissa singing in a dramatic, kneeling position centerstage while Michael softly dueted in the background, a purple spotlight beaming down on him. This was followed by a slow, sensual interpretation of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” originally by Motown legends Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. Michael had now transferred to the electric guitar while simultaneously synthesizing the bass by beat-boxing into the mic.
Easily the highlight of Us The Duo’s performance was their original hit, “No Matter Where You Are,” which the gushing couple disclaimed was an extension of their wedding vows.
The chemistry between the two was impossible to miss as they charmingly sang side by side, shaking the maracas and pounding the drum.
The romantic harmony took a quick, opposite turn as the couple announced, “We’re going to play you all of our favorite songs in three and a half minutes!” The audience roared in excitement. They were then instructed to “get up and dance and annoy everyone around you,” which the audience promptly obeyed once Michael kicked off the final epic mashup with the classic iPhone cell phone ringtone, which he produced on the keyboard.
A blend of top, modern hits such as “Hello,” “Hotline Bling,” “Cheerleader,” “Shut Up and Dance,” “Trap Queen” and “See You Again” followed, which Us The Duo seamlessly mastered.
To the audience’s content, Us The Duo’s closing mashup marked only the ending of the first quarter of the concert, with plenty more excitement to come.
The iconic a cappella group Pentatonix took to the stage the only way they knew how: A remix of “Can’t Sleep Love” softly echoed out with the lights off, the only thing visible being the five silhouettes in the framing of each panel, lit up to mimic a rainbow, and the snapping of their fingers in perfect unison. It was a surreal moment.
The five brilliant vocalists, Avi Kaplan, Scott Hoying, Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin Olusola and Mitch Grassi, all dressed in black-and-white, belted out the first original single, driving the already revved-up audience into madness.
Each vocalist took turns singing a solo, while the rest melodically provided the instruments and backup using their gifted voices. Their swift, synchronized movement and unified finger snaps enhanced their ethereal vocals, leaving the audience mesmerized.
Soon after, they sang a string of Michael Jackson sellouts, each song morphing into the next in one fluent stroke. In between songs, the group repeatedly yelled out how much they love Boston, gushing how the city is their absolute favorite.
Sitting on raised benches of different levels, the group performed Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself,” giving the young star a run for his money. At this time, the audience had turned on the flashlights on their phones and were waving their arms back and forth, creating a sea of moving light, like floating fireflies.
Us The Duo was welcomed back on stage to join Pentatonix in a heartwarming rendition of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.” The audience was then pulled into the next portion of the concert when the group called people from the audience to join them on stage in the performance of “Misbehavin.’”
Just as the group was preparing to perform their original record “Rose Gold” along with their last couple of songs for the night, Grassi took a moment to acknowledge the dedicated fans, as well as an important message. He uttered the empowering reassurance that, “No matter what’s going on in the world, we can be your escape and help you heal.”
The light was figuratively and literally shining by the end of the night, as the group returned for an encore and performed the magical “Light In the Hallway,” simply using the power of their voices, without any microphones. They stood in a huddled semicircle around a light bulb, letting the angelic tunes escape. On that note, they added before performing, “Just so you guys know, there’s always light in the hallway.”
Coffee is my lifeline, every morning, afternoon and night—and occasionally in between. Find me café hopping with my nose buried in a book and a cappuccino by my side for good company. I’ll never pass up a chance to explore this adventure-packed city and its unique, bustling yet mellow culture.
