The holiday spirit was in the air on Sunday, December 1st, when Tony and Grammy Award-winner Leslie Odom, Jr. performed at The Theater at MGM in Oxon Hill, MD. The crooner was performing as part of his Christmas tour.
As I entered the venue, the elaborate stage Mr. Odom set up reminded me of his days in the theater. Promptly at 8:05 pm, the band made their way to the stage, followed by Odom, dressed in a sleek black coat. With the backing of a tight band, Odom opened us set with jazz-flavored covers of the yuletide classics "Have Yourself a Merry Little Chritmas," "My Favorite Things," "The Christmas Waltz," and "The Christmas Song." I commend Odom for taking it, as it gave the singer a chance to challenge himself vocally.
Odom skillfully infused his performance with spiritual depth by including heartfelt songs like "Jesus Give Me Water" and "He's So Wonderful" in the setlist. While many believe that "Jesus Is The Reason For The Season," Odom chose not to deliver a sermon; instead, he let the powerful melodies and meaningful lyrics resonate with the audience.
Additionally, Odom Jr. delighted fans by featuring enchanting tracks such as "Heaven & Earth," "Snow," and "Winter Song" from his 2020 holiday album. These beautiful additions brought a fresh and festive spirit to the evening, leaving me excited to expand my holiday playlist with these new gems.
As the night began to wind down, Odom performed elegant covers of "Last Holiday" and "Ava Maria" to much fanfare. As a longtime fan of the singer, I found it great to hear Leslie Odom Jr. finally sing, and I highly recommend checking him out if he's ever in your town.
Final Grade: B+
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