It was a family affair for superstar songstress Mariah Carey as she brought her Merry Christmas One and All! tour to the Hollywood Bowl for two sold-out shows on November 17 and 19. Joining the superstar onstage both nights were her 12-year-old twins (with Nick Cannon), Moroccan and Monroe, or "Roc and Roe", as the singer put it.
Carey's daughter, Monroe, joined her mom for a duet on a soaring "Jesus Born on This Day", from Carey's 1994 holiday album Merry Christmas, with Monroe also fronting a rollicking version of The Waitresses' "Christmas Wrapping". Moroccan made a brief appearance for "Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)". Upbeat versions - complete with all the "zhuzh", Carey noted - of her Christmas standards started out the set list with cheer.
Sunday night saw cold Santa Ana winds sweep through the packed venue, where the sold-out crowd was adorned with festive sequined holiday sweaters and neon lights as Carey's voice hit all the high notes with ease during the 90-minute set that also featured Carey pausing her Christmas playlist to shout-out a man in the front row wearing a "Why Are You So Obsessed With Me" long-sleeved T featuring Carey and Gucci Mane.
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Carey couldn't help herself - perhaps obsessed herself - and delivered an a cappella snippet of the hit "Obsessed" much to the screaming delight of her adoring fans. She then segued into a greatest-hits mash-up of "Always Be My Baby" / "Dreamlover" / "Honey" / "Heartbreaker" / "A No No" / "It's a Wrap" / "Emotions" / "Make It Happen" / "Fly Like a Bird".
This led into her belting out soulful renditions of "We Belong Together" - she also gave a nod to co-writer Jermaine Dupri, who was at the show, noting that the night they wrote it will forever be "emblazoned" on her mind - and wrapping with her anthem "Hero" alongside soaring accompaniment from her rhythm-packed band, which in her words gave her Christmas songs that added zhuzh.
Of course, the encore writes itself, as Carey and company went full Christmas for her No. 1 hit "All I Want for Christmas Is You", which she performed earlier in the day for the Billboard Music Awards.
(The Hollywoord Reporter)
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