Pentatonix, Us The Duo, and AJ had the crowd at Merriweather Post Pavilion in a tizzy on Thursday night. The roar was like listening to The Beatles on Ed Sullivan. Girls were almost in tears and shaking each other in shock and total excitement.

AJ was up first. I was impressed with his showmanship. He worked the audience and seemed like he’s been onstage since birth. His adorable smile captivated all of his young fans (I’m sure some older ones too)! His set included covers of current, chart topping hits that ended with an impressive mash up. He concluded the set with an original song, “Tongue” which had great lyrics and sound. I think this guy may go very far! I was fortunate to meet him briefly and observe him with some adoring fans (the line was super long). He was sweet and excited, himself, but grounded.

Us The Duo came up next. Their sound and fresh take on some classics such as, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” made me a fast fan. They are multi-talented, playing many a wide range of instruments. My favorite was the song they wrote that became their wedding vows, “No Matter Where You Are”. Obviously, the lyrics are full of love and promises of devotion. What really struck me was the music; the build and change at the chorus is great and makes the song really pack a punch, which gets reinforced at the bridge and end of the song. They will be returning in August to the 9:30 Club and I plan on being there and you should too. ?

After what a lot of the crowd felt was too long of a break (the only negative of the night), the Pentatonix made a dramatic entrance. Before they even started, the lights dimmed and the entire place went bonkers. Their entire set was like that…loud cheers and screeches as any one of them walked further downstage. They are truly a talented group. They have a great look of individual style that is blended to make a cohesive ensemble look. Their choreography is done in such way that it only enhances the performance. Each one of them is unbelievably versatile and talented, which makes for a great group dynamic. They made every song their own and not one cover was disappointing. Especially, “Cheerleader” and their newly added, “Love Yourself”.

This was their last night on the U.S. leg of their tour, but they’ll be back, so be ready to see them. What a fantastic concert!!

For upcoming events at Merriweather Post Pavilion, go to www.merriweathermusic.com

For more info on the groups, go to:

AJ- www.theofficialaj.com Twitter: officialaj

Us The Duo- www.ustheduo.com Twitter: UsTheDuo

Pentatonix- www.ptxoffical.com Twitter: PTXofficial

About The Author

Denise A.

Theatre/Concert Reviewer

A member of the Actors’ Center since 2000, she is a professionally trained actor, singer and dancer, she has graced stages all over the country with various musicals and plays, receiving many awards and accolades. She was an award-nominated host for Eclipse Magazine TV and has also been seen on such shows as The Mickey Mouse Club, Homicide: Life on the Streets, and Ally McBeal. She is a professional magician’s assistant, who has worked with Carnegie and Bradley Fields. Denise has also done her share behind the scenes with many projects. Aside from choreography, she’s been doing costuming and makeup (award winning) for more than a decade. She has been a writer since middle school, mostly short stories and poetry. As English was a favorite subject always, she easily took to journalism courses in high school, followed by college. Her writing has spanned many different markets. In recent years, she has been co-authoring an original musical that she hopes gets to see the light of day 🙂

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