MUSIC

John Legend puts on a merry and bright Christmas concert at Milwaukee's Riverside Theater

Piet Levy
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

I'll sound like a Grinch asking this, but is there an emptier artistic endeavor for a pop musician than making Christmas music?

I say that as someone who enjoys listening to a ton of holiday music with my family each year — beginning in October, which I know is offensive to some. 

In recent decades, we've had classics (Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You"), underappreciated gems (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers' "Christmas All Over Again") and inspired reinterpretations of the standards (Michael Buble and Pentatonix come to mind).

But more often than not, Christmas songs come across as a quick and easy way for musicians to stuff their stockings, with soulless covers and forgettable originals that are as appetizing as stale fruitcake.

John Legend brought his "Legendary Christmas" tour to the Riverside Theater in Milwaukee on Wednesday.

That wasn't going to be the case at John Legend's holiday show at the Riverside Theater Wednesday. You don't complete an EGOT — winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony — by cutting corners.

And of all the times I've seen Legend live, Wednesday's Milwaukee show was definitely the most fun.

Not that there weren't opportunities for any grinches to roll their eyes. 

Legend's walked a fine line between heartfelt and corny several times across his catalog, but his original "By Christmas Eve," from this year's "A Legendary Christmas" album, is a true groaner. Beyond the melodramatic lyrics about a man yearning to get home to his family ("I'll cross the deserts and oceans, a river that's frozen/I'll follow the stars just to find where you are"), Legend live tossed out some ridiculously hammy low notes during his rendition Wednesday that made a few fans near my seat giggle.

Admittedly, the sparse piano version, culminating with back-and-forth vocals with his three backing female singers, seemed to win over the audience.

But not every moment lit up the crowd. Legend and his 10 backing musicians reinterpreted Vince Guaraldi's tender "Christmas Time Is Here" from "A Charlie Brown Christmas" as big-band bombast. There was a moment Wednesday, on the trail of a busy band section, when Legend belted some money notes and mugged for the audience behind a piano, blatantly baiting the crowd for applause, only to be met by silent observation. 

But most of Legend's holiday songs Wednesday — 11 in total — were merrily arranged, brightly performed and festively received.

Legend channeled Charles Brown's '60s soul sweetness for a faithful take of "Please Come Home for Christmas," and a golden take of "Silver Bells" was presented in the spirit of Marvin Gaye. "Merry Christmas Baby" was staged in "JL's Juke Joint," the band channeling Memphis blues grit and swagger, while original "Merry Merry Christmas" was a New Orleans brass band-style swinger, with Legend, his singers and three horn players marching across the street in front of a digital backdrop of a Christmas lights-covered Bourbon Street. 

Sprinkled throughout the hour-and-40-minute set were 11 other songs from across Legend's discography. 

He flirted with the naughty list for the sensual "Tonight (Best You Ever Had)" and "Penthouse Floor" with mic stand slams and succulent, smoldering vocals. His "Ordinary People" was extraordinary Wednesday, featuring Legend's most dynamic vocals of the night, accompanied only by his dazzling and romantic piano playing.

And he gave a fan in the crowd, local musician Jeannine Rivers, one hell of an early Christmas gift, inviting her to groove with him on stage for "Slow Dance," where he dramatically dropped to his knees as he sang.

Santa's going to have a hard time topping that one.

The takeaways 

  • Between the backdrops, outfits and the songs, Legend's concert was largely presented in the vein of "Soul Train" and "The Ed Sullivan Show" Wednesday. One odd exception was a performance of "Love Me Now," where the band (with the exception of Legend and his singers) performed behind a screen that dropped down to show clips of the music video in black and white, creating an awkward disconnect.
  • Legend also appeared on NBC's "A Legendary Christmas" special this season, but unlike that campy broadcast, Wednesday's concert didn't feature much dialogue or any jokes. There was a point when Legend reminisced about the holidays in Ohio as a child where the family would gather around the piano and play music for hours.
  • Legend's parting holiday message: "Christmas just isn't Christmas without the ones you love."

The set list 

1. "What Christmas Means to Me"
2. "Silver Bells"
3. "Bring Me Love"
4. "A Good Night"
5. "Tonight (Best You Ever Had)"
6. "Love Me Now"
7. "Please Come Home for Christmas"
8. "By Christmas Eve"
9. "Where Did My Baby Go"
10. "Slow Dance"
11. "Merry Christmas Baby/Give Love on Christmas Day"
12. "Christmas Time Is Here"
13. "No Place Like Home"
14. "Wrap Me Up in Your Love"
15. "Save Room"
16. "Like I'm Gonna Lose You"
17. "Penthouse Floor"
18. "Ordinary People"
19. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
20. "Green Light"
Encore
21. "All Of Me"
22. "Merry Merry Christmas" 

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Piet Levy talks about concerts, local music and more on "TAP'd In" with Jordan Lee, 8 a.m. Thursdays on WYMS-FM (88.9). Follow him on Twitter @pietlevy and on Facebook at facebook.com/PietLevyMJS.