98 Degrees at Christmas: A Show Review

Posted December 19, 2017 by shooting in Cincinnati, Music / 17 Comments

This past Friday, December 15, I went to the Aronoff Center in Cincinnati, Ohio to see the 98 Degrees at Christmas show with my mom and sister. The last time I saw 98 Degrees live was in 2001, so it was such a great opportunity to see them again. This time around, instead of a stadium, the concert was more of a holiday show that took place where I usually go and see musicals. While being near the top, I still had a really good view of the stage. One of the reasons that I was excited to see 98 Degrees live again is because they are from Cincinnati, Ohio, and you have to celebrate your own, right? Then I also knew they were going to be playing a lot of Christmas music, and that was equally as exciting!

98 Degrees at Christmas: A Review on the Holiday Show #Cincinnati #98degrees Click To Tweet

To be honest, I actually thought the whole show was going to be Christmas music, and that was mostly true, but they also mixed in some of their classic hits. I loved the mix, especially since I got to hear “The Hardest Part” which is a favorite of mine by 98 Degrees. They also sang some holiday classics that I adore like “Mary Did You Know” and an amusing rendition of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” All four members of 98 Degrees (Nick, Drew, Jeff, and Justin) come from theatrical backgrounds and this came out in full force during “Mr. Grinch.” It was such a fun moment.

The show is broken up into two parts – with one 15 minute intermission – and each of the guys got a chance to talk to the audience throughout the show. It was fun to hear some personal/professional stories intermixed with the songs/performances. And it was a performance! There was some great dancing – especially from Drew Lachey! Man, that man can move – and even a moment where four women were brought on stage and serenaded by each guy in the group.

I have to say that one of the highlights was probably the Frozen moments. It starts with Jeff and Justin and Jeff talks about how those two used to be roommates and they’d do everything together – but now that they are on tour, Justin no longer talks to Jeff. So that leads to Jeff reaching out with, “Do you want to build a snowman?” It was all sorts of hilarious -and Jeff has a great voice for this song! After this brief “skit” if you will, they guys all come together to sing “Let It Go” and that ends with Drew jumping into the arms of the other three guys and singing “the cold never bothered me anyway.” Just try and picture that – it was great!

All in all, it was such a fun night! I do think the audience treated it a bit too much like a regular concert, and not as much like the holiday show it was, so I could have used less of the shrieking (and the ladies behind me who talked way too much during the actual show), but despite that, definitely worth seeing! There are still a few more dates on the tour, which you can find on the band’s website (as well as information on their latest Christmas album).

17 responses to “98 Degrees at Christmas: A Show Review

  1. RO

    Yay! I remember Nick and Jessica Simpson from waaaay back in the day as they shared their marriage on MTV and Chicken of the Sea comment.(lol) I’ve seen the group on quite a few talk shows, and when they sang, they definitely still have the skills! Glad you all enjoyed the show. Hugs..RO

  2. This sounds like such a fun show! I always felt 98 Degrees was overshadowed by N*Sync and Backstreet Boys back in the day and they’re just as talented! I love Drew and Nick especially! I’m glad you had a chance to go!

  3. I was a HUGE 98 degrees fan back in my day. (I also watched the Newlyweds show with Nick and Jessica and was heartbroken when they divorced, but that’s a whole separate issue). It can definitely be frustrating for me when I’m at a concert and can’t really hear the artists singing because the people around me are too drunk and loud!

  4. Oh my!! How fun! I remember listening to them back in the day. 🙂 Love it. I bet they did a wonderful job on Mary Did You Know. That is one of my favorite Christmas songs, as well!

  5. Jen

    They came here, and I had a school concert that night and missed it! I am so glad you enjoyed it though. I had a friend who went and she said it was AWESOME!!

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