Pentatonix’s – The Beauty Resides in the Sound

As Christmas day approaches, acapella pop group Pentatonix has been traveling throughout the states for their tour “The Most Wonderful Tour of the Year.” Since November, they have been performing holiday classics for enthusiastic crowds, with their first show taking place at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, CA. Their performance began with an impressive light show, interjected with the rapid-fire studio recordings of the band’s Christmas covers, like “Jingle Bells,” “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” and “O Holy Night.”

Suddenly, the band members appeared. They kicked off the show by singing “O Come, All Ye Faithful” and “Sleigh Ride.” Standing center stage, they were attired in dazzling outfits of pink and blue, as their divine harmonies rang out against the building. The stage was equally as captivating, initially showing a snowflake-like portal, revealing the winter wonderland inside filled with falling snow and pine trees.

Scott Hoying, Pentatonix’s baritone singer, welcomed the crowd happily, revealing that this was their first Christmas show in California ever. He joked, saying how difficult it can be to get people in California out to a Christmas show. But based on what he saw, the arena was filled to the brim. He thanked everyone for being there, and expressed how nervous, yet excited, he was. But before moving the show along, Hoying went around and introduced each of the band members. Every beat that could be heard came from their beatboxer, Kevin Olusola. On the baseline was Matt Sallee, as well as tenor singer Mitch Grassi. Lastly, there was alto and soprano singer, Kirstin Maldonado. They all jumped into “Twelve Days of Christmas.”

Pentatonix’s beauty resides in the sound they create. It’s simply unbelievable upon first listening, and yet they achieve it through their melodious voices. They remain the epitome of synchronization, with every vocal inflection sounding refined. They soon transitioned into singing “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” Sallee and Olusola kept the momentum going, asking everyone how they were feeling, and if they wanted to play a game, with the audience cheering as loud as possible. Said game was “Wheel of Christmas.”

With infectiously positive energy, Olusola explained that on the big round peppermint wheel, they have the names of arrangements they have done throughout their career. In an effort to get as many songs as they possibly could onto the lineup, they created the wheel. Whichever song that it landed on, the band would perform a mini arrangement of it. The wheel landed on “Feliz Navidad,” “Let It Snow,” and “Making Christmas.” Additionally, they brought out a t-shirt gun, and launched shirts into the crowd.

Grassi addressed the audience next, charmingly asking for clarification on where they were specifically, Palm Desert or Palm Springs. Everyone cheered, answering with a resounding “Palm Desert.” Afterwards, he mentioned that their next song is one of his absolute favorites, and always elicits an emotional reaction from him. Reason being that each time they sing it, he’s reminded of the album this piece is on, and when it debuted. “That’s Christmas to Me” was the band’s second Christmas album, but their first album to go platinum, which was a massive achievement for them. The piece in question was “Mary Did You Know?”

After thanking everyone, Maldonado relayed that their next song was going to have consistent belting notes. She claimed it was her favorite Christmas song, and that the band sang it for their first Christmas EP in 2013. It was “Oh Holy Night,” and the lighting of the stage shifted, making it appear as if they were performing underneath a starry sky. Behind them, the rings of snowflakes glowed to the beat of the song.

Their next song was an original titled “Kid On Christmas,” upbeat and delightfully festive. While they sang, the band members passed around a camera that projected the footage onto the screens above. The projected footage implemented holiday-themed filters, akin to those you’d find on IOS apps. Some of these filters gave the band members a Santa beard, elf ears, a puffy jacket, and a wreath as a crown. Meanwhile, a projection of a dancing gingerbread man and Santa Claus could be seen behind them.

The show resumed on an atmospheric note. Sallee, attired in all black, appeared on stage with a candy cane–cane, in hand, and a tophat on his head. Fog generously swept over the stage as he sang “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” His fellow band members backed him up, singing and dancing along. The t-shirt gun they used before also returned, as they shot two Grinch dolls into the audience, much to their delight.

Adorned in colorful feather boas, the group sang “We Need a Little Christmas.” Maldonado reminisced that not only do they love the piece, but they had been singing it for years, since high school show choir. Shortly after, Hoying sought the participation of everyone in the audience. He enthusiastically explained that they were going to record a clip for Pentatonix’s TikTok account, where they would all sing Queen’s “Somebody to Love.” Hoying broke the crowd down into four sections, specifying their pitches. The final outcome was spectacular, with Hoying singing Freddy Mercury’s conclusive riff after the crowd finished.

Olusola appeared on stage, sitting with a cello before him. Speaking on the group’s behalf, he expressed how happy they were that everyone could be there that night. Olusola shared about his beginnings with Pentatonix, about how the group found him through a viral video on Youtube, where he did a technique called cello-boxing. He demonstrated for the audience, playing cello and beat-boxing at the same time.

Olusola eagerly spoke about how it’s one of his absolute favorite things to do, and that as a band, each of the musicians have grown in their respective gifts and talents. He joked how, for the crowd, it may come off as sacrilegious for an acapella group, like themselves, to have an instrument up on stage. But Olusola and Sallee prepared something for the crowd that they were excited to share, and hoped they would enjoy.

What followed was one of the best sequences of the show. Olusola continued to amaze through his ability of playing cello, while simultaneously beatboxing, and performed Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “March,” the second piece of The Nutcracker ballet. The amount of talent on display, between Sallee on the drum-kit, and Olusola on the cello, words cannot do it justice. Both of them shined through solos, paired with flashing lights overhead. They received a standing ovation from the arena as soon as it finished, and took a bow.

As Olusola and Sallee recuperated, the other band members appeared at the secondary stage, toward the center of the arena. After they sang “Evergreen,” Olusola spoke about spending the holidays with those you cherish and love. Not only were his family members attending the performance, but he professed so much love for his daughter. He asked those in the audience, if they were with someone they loved, to give them a hug, and spread some love across the room. This transitioned into the next song, “Star On Top.”

Maldonado shared how her daughter is out on tour with them, that she has been with them throughout the whole year. Her first time traveling with them was last year’s Christmas tour, when she was four and half months old. Now, at seventeen months old, Maldonado’s daughter has been able to share tour experiences alongside her mother, as well as the rest of the band members. Maldonado expressed how beautiful it has been to combine her own family, as well as her family in Pentatonix. Her child is the biggest fan of their work, as two days after she was born, she would listen to the band’s cover of “Dreams,” and cease crying. The next three songs of the show’s lineup, a lullaby included, makes Maldonado think of her daughter.

Before they performed “White Winter Hymnal,” all while seated in a circle no less, Olusola thanked the crowd. He confessed how when Pentatonix started twelve years ago, the opportunity to sing for this many people felt like a pipe dream, something in the far distance that didn’t seem feasible. The audience had no idea what it meant to the band members, for people to bring their families out, spending their hard-earned money, all to watch them perform. The band’s love could be felt from the furthest reaches of the arena.

Hoying wished to refrain from crying while singing the next song, but that there would be no guarantees. Said next song was titled “Thank You,” a piece that Hoying wrote with his husband. He happily revealed that he got married this year. Hoying and his husband would sit at the piano, wondering what they wanted to write about. Hoying believes the holidays are a time where he feels most grateful for his family, and the people who are beside him during times of hardship and happiness. His loved ones were also there for the show. Hoying asked the audience to think about someone who has supported them through life while they listened, whether said person was attending the show or not. Hoying hoped that everyone would love it.

The band would transition back to the main stage afterwards, singing “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Everyone was up and out of their seats, dancing without a care and sharing laughter aplenty. The finale was another Christmas original, one of the band’s newest. Titled “Please Santa Please,” the piece can be heard on their Grammy nominated Christmas album. After thanking the crowd one more for coming out, each of the band members stood at their microphone stand, and sang against glittering colors. To catch Pentatonix before their seasonal tour concludes, visit https://www.ptxofficial.com/. For further information on the upcoming shows at the Acrisure Arena, visit https://acrisurearena.com/.