On Saturday the members of 98° took the stage to a screaming devoted crowd at the Borgata Music Box in Atlantic City. The Christmas tour was in celebration of their first full length album in 18 years, “Let It Snow,” released late last year. Many attendees donned blinking lights, Christmas gear and band t-shirts as Nick, Justin, Drew and Jeff performed some of their biggest hits and classic Christmas tunes.
Their four-part harmonies were in top form and their take on Christmas classics was very charming. They played off each other well and their banter often was a prelude to their next song. As Drew jokingly stated these were, “songs [they] love to sing, have never sung and some [they] never hope to sing again,” my money is on “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)” in which Drew sung, “I want a hula hoop” in a higher key.
“They’re just as good as when I was kid!” squealed a fan behind me, “but now I can drink!” The crowd gleefully sang along to chart-toppers, “Because of You,” “I Do (Cherish You),” “Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)” which they cleverly mashed with “Feliz Navidad” and closed the show with a personal favorite, “The Hardest Thing.”
The band was all smiles after the show as I popped in for a quick hello backstage. I asked if they were having fun on this tour and they assured me they were and it showed. For me it was a surreal experience it was like walking into a room where all my Tiger Beat (90’s teen magazine) posters had come to life. I confessed that had this meeting occurred 20 years ago I would have been a crying mess to which Drew said, “you can still cry,” we all had a laugh and I assured him I would cry as soon as I left the room and I did.
The tour concludes on Friday, December 21st in Appleton, WI. For more on 98° follow them on twitter @98official, like them on Facebook at Facebook.com/Official98degrees and of course their website: www.98degrees.com