Tonight is an intimate evening with Phillip Phillips at Thalia Hall. He first rose to fame after winning the 11th season of American Idol in 2012. He returned to TV this year in the 14th season of The Masked Singer as “Pugcasso” and finished in second. Ashlee Simpson was the winner.
For the second song of the night, Phillips and his band play “Raging Fire” from his 2014 album, “Behind The Light”. “So come out, come out, come out / Won’t you turn my soul into a raging fire? Come out, come out, come out / ‘Til we lose control, into a raging fire.” This is an exceptional song full of great energy that has everyone dancing along.
Late in the set, he brings out the opener, Katie Lynne Sharbaugh, to sing “Strangers” from his 2023 album, Drift Back. “Don’t you wish that we could be strangers? / That we could go backwards and meet all over again / Crazy how our time is an arrow, shooting us forward / I’d do it all over and over again just to be strangers”. It’s a fantastic duet about wishing to start a relationship over from scratch.
“Home” is a crowd favorite. It was his coronation song on Idol and he also played it after his reveal on the Masked Singer. “Cause I’m gonna make this place your home.” The beautiful lyrics along with the great guitar playing are a great fit.
During many songs, they launch into an excellent extended jams reminiscent of a Dave Matthews Band show and the similarities don’t end there. It was a fantastic set and everyone left with a smile on their face. He is very charming and really knows how to handle crowd. He could easily become as big as Dave Matthews and he is definitely talented enough to do it!
See the full setlist here.
Cost of a ticket: $46
PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Exceptional
Rating Scale: Exceptional > Good Value > Discounted > Go for Free > Don’t Bother
Quinn Delaney
