Pentatonix to kick off Lincoln’s holiday entertainment season Saturday
It’s beginning to sound a lot like Christmas and not just for holiday shoppers in stores or on the radio.
For Saturday, Lincoln will begin a month of Christmas concerts, with, appropriately, Pentatonix, arguably, outside of Mannheim Steamroller, today’s most Christmas-associated group.
The Grammy-winning five-person a cappella group, which will perform at Pinnacle Bank Arena, released “Holidays Around the World” its sixth holiday album, last month, following up “Evergreen,” the album that was the basis for their record setting tour last year.
Since emerging in 2011, Pentatonix has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide, generated billions of streams and performed “everywhere” from the White House and Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to late night TV shows, the Hollywood Bowl and theaters and arenas around the country.
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Strongly identified with holiday music, the band’s 2016 album “A Pentatonix Christmas” hit No. 1 on the Billboard album charts and sold more than a million copies.
The quintet – Scott Hoying, Mitch Grass, Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin Olusola and Matt Sallee – has won three Grammy Awards, making history as the first a cappella act to win Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella” in 2015.
Next up is Tenthing Brass Ensemble, a ten-piece, all-female Norwegian brass ensemble, that will present a program at the Lied Center for Performing Arts Thursday.
Starting at the beautiful fjords of Norway, the ensemble will move through 14th century Germany, a warm Italian Christmas via Corelli’s Christmas Concerto, evergreen England, to the sounds of Ukrainian folk and Czech fairy-tale before moving into new arrangements of American Christmas classics “Winter Wonderland,” “White Christmas,” “Let It Snow” and “Jingle Bell Rock”
On Dec. 4, Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra will present its annual “Deck The Halls” concert at the Lied Center.
The concert, which will be performed at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., will include “Sleigh Ride” and “the Nutcracker” with guest conductor Lucas Waldin. Tenor Drew Duncan will bring beloved holiday songs to life along with dancers from Dancing Beyond Limits. The concert will also feature Bell-issimo handbell choir and Lincoln Suzuki Studios.
Pianist Lorie Line returns to Lincoln for her annual holiday show on Dec. 14 at the Rococo Theatre. “An Intimate Christmas with Lorie Line 2022” will present an evening of holiday music, funny stories and stories of faith. Kids are welcome at the 90-minute concert that will also feature the Bell Meister ringing in Christmas and the New Year.
After being stuck inside their homes for years due to the pandemic, Americans are eagerly rushing to get out.
On Dec. 16, Lincoln singer-songwriter Andrea von Kampen will present her fourth annual Christmas concert at the Rococo. As is tradition, von Kampen will share the stage with friends and family performing takes on classic holiday tunes as well as her original songs showcasing the winter season.
Another holiday tradition comes to the Lied Center on Dec. 17 and 18, with the 36th annual production of “The Nutcracker” by the Lincoln Midwest Ballet Company. The performance features almost 200 student dancers from southeast Nebraska along with professional guest artists telling the enduring story to the score written by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Wrapping up the holiday music offerings, “Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musica” comes to the Lied Center for five performances Dec. 22-24.
The record-setting Broadway holiday sensation features the hit songs “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch” and “Welcome Christmas” from the original animated special as well new songs written for this musical theater retelling of Dr. Seuss’s classic story of the mean, scheming Grinch, whose heart is “two sizes too small” who decides to steal Christmas away from the holiday-loving Whos.
Tickets for the Pentatonix concert are available at ticketmaster.com and on the Ticketmaster app. Tickets for the Lied Center events are available at liedcenter.org, by phone at 402-472-4747 and at the Lied ticket office. Tickets for the Rococo events are available at rococotheatre.com.
15 unconventional Christmas albums from the past 50 years
15 unconventional Christmas albums from the past 50 years
Remember The Singing Dogs? It was a band made up of dogs, and all the songs were spliced-together dog barks. The group’s Christmas song, “Jingle Bells,” hit the top of Billboard’s Christmas Singles chart in 1972. But don’t be fooled—The Singing Dogs’ Christmas album is far from the quirkiest piece of holiday music out there.
Stacker dug into the recesses of Christmas or holiday-themed albums to find 15 unconventional holiday albums that stand out as cultural and musical anomalies in their addition to the much-beloved sub-genre of music. These original albums represent some of the most unique holiday songs out there. To curate this list, Stacker didn’t look at singles; just LPs and EPs were considered.
Many famous musicians have released some pretty unique versions of holiday songs. Sufjan Stevens took it to another level and released 100 songs in two installments six years apart. Afroman has a quirky Christmas album with lyrics tailored to his image and some of his favorite pastimes. Even Arcade Fire put together a secret DIY Christmas album.
Keep reading to learn more about these highly unusual holiday albums.
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‘Christmas Interpretations’ (1993) by Boyz II Men
This Christmas album was another wildly popular installment in the Boyz II Men discography. The band put their standard spin of soothing vocals and flawless harmonies on a full slate of new material, with only one cover, “Silent Night,” all a cappella. The rest of the songs on the album aren’t all as full of joy as traditional Christmas tunes, covering topics like depression, poverty, and love.
‘Natty Christmas’ (1978) by Jacob Miller
Transport to Jamaica with this reggae Christmas album. The record became a Christmas classic, with lyrics like “We bring you an Irie Christmas” and lots of references to marijuana. Plus, most of the songs are set to traditional Christmas tunes, so everyone can easily sing along.
‘A Very Arcade Xmas’ (2002) by Arcade Fire
This album can’t be bought in stores—Arcade Fire members apparently made the album for friends, hand-delivered it as holiday gifts, and then someone leaked it online. The album was recorded in 2001 live at a party.
‘Songs for Christmas, Vols.’1-5’ (2006) and ‘Silver & Gold: Songs for Christmas, Vols. 6-10’ (2012) by Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens’s epic two-part album is split into 10 volumes of 100 songs. Half of the songs were released in 2006 and the other half in 2012. The albums reflect Stevens’ changing style throughout his career, with some songs appearing multiple times, differentiated by style and arrangement.
‘My Morning Jacket Does Xmas Fiasco Style’ (2000) by My Morning Jacket
This six-song EP is a mix of originals and covers with some experimental vocals and riffs. Listen for the heavy electric guitar and beautiful harmonies the band is known for while still being left with a relaxed holiday soundtrack.
‘A Glimpse of Stocking’ (2010) by Saint Etienne
This limited release album wasn’t too surprising for those already fans of Saint Etienne. It was a fun collection of past fan releases and covers of other Christmas songs, in the standard style anyone came to expect from the band. But only 3,000 copies were made, and for an extra expense, buyers could get a signed Christmas card and a personalized song.
‘A Heavy Metal Christmas’ (2012) by Christopher Lee
Actor Christopher Lee (as seen in “Lord of the Rings” and “Dracula”) was 90 when he released this two-song heavy metal EP. The classically trained singer loved heavy metal, and the EP, which includes “Little Drummer Boy” and “Silent Night,” reflected his talent for the genre.
‘Christmas in the Stars: Star Wars Christmas Album’ (1980) by various artists
The Star Wars universe and the real world merged in this Christmas album, which made many people hate it. Star Wars characters came through with holiday gems like “What Can You Get a Wookiee for Christmas (When He Already Owns a Comb?)” and “R2-D2 We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” The cheese factor is enough to put the average person over the edge; but fetching a copy of this album (CD or vinyl) will set you back a few bucks as the album now serves as a collector’s item.
‘A Very Spidey Christmas’ (2018) by ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ cast
What started as a joke in “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” became a reality a week after the movie premiered. This EP, previewed in the film, is only five songs and about 11 minutes total. It features the cast singing holiday songs as their characters.
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‘Eban Schletter’s Cosmic Christmas’ (2009) by Eban Schletter
Those who’ve never heard a theremin can get their fill with this album, which is an electronic sensation and so popular it has a Facebook fan page. The album description says it all: “A military satellite finds itself in the midst of a musical ‘transmission’ which forces it to rethink its primary directive.” What follows are electronic, synth, and theremin versions of holiday classics.
‘A Colt 45 Christmas’ (2006) by Afroman
Afroman’s albums generally contain parental advisories, and this one’s no different. The rapper decided to put his spin on Christmas classics, turning out songs like “Afroman is Coming to Town” and “O Chronic Tree.” Each song showcases Afroman’s trademark musical humor.
‘Christmas Is 4 Ever’ (2006) by Bootsy Collins
Funk artist Bootsy Collins released this album on Halloween of 2006. None of the songs sound like the original (imagine a funky bass line on “Silent Night”), and some of them have unique collaborations. Snoop Dogg and George Clinton lend voices on “Happy Holidaze” while “Sleigh Ride” features Charlie Daniels.
‘The Most Wonderful Time of the Year’ (2011) by Scott Weiland
Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland departed his rock lifestyle with this kitschy Christmas album of covers with a twist. “O Holy Night” is reggae-style, “Silent Night” has some Spanish flair, and the singer croons Sinatra-style for a few of the more classic holiday tunes.
‘Merry Christmas Baby’ (1971) by Rudy Ray Moore
Rudy Ray Moore was a crass comedy legend—and he brought it all for this album. The A-side is relatively benign, with the smooth namesake song “Merry Christmas Baby.” However, those who turn the record over will be hit with a wildly X-rated B-side, with lyrics that match the album sleeve art.
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Reach the writer at 402-473-7244 or [email protected]. On Twitter @KentWolgamott
