A Rocking Holiday Concert with Darlene Love at Cabot Theater

All I want for Christmas is you - Darlene Love

The Cabot Theater in Beverly, MA, hosted an amazing night with legendary singer, Darlene Love. Love’s singing career spans over six decades. She rose to fame as a member of the vocal group The Blossoms and as a solo recording artist. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.

The sold-out theater came alive with holiday magic as Love entered the stage singing ‘Hark the Herald Angels.’ With her mighty voice, timeless charisma, and glittering stage presence, the 83-year-old icon delivered a performance that celebrated the holiday spirit.

“Sounds like Christmas is almost here,” Love happily remarked to the audience about her favorite time of the year. Love for the Holidays has been an annual Cabot event in December for a few years. “It’s not Christmas without Beverly.”

An assortment of Christmas songs were on the roster. She sang ‘Rocking Around the Christmas Tree,’ dancing throughout her performance. Along with Love’s incredible energy, her powerful voice echoed magnificently throughout the Cabot auditorium.

Concerts are like history lessons. Since I have been attending more concerts, not only are they about music, but also a time to regale stories. We all have stories to tell. A musician's stories inspire others, especially with how they evolved in their career.

Love talked about several stories from her career and youth. Growing up, her family was poor, but they enjoyed what they had. She talked about her love for Gospel music which is how she connected with Elvis Presley in 1968. Before her solo career started, Love sang background in the Blossoms. She also sang to children in hospitals.

One of the highlights was ‘All Alone at Christmas,’ a familiar song from Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. I had no idea that Love sang this song until now. The whole theater was excited to listen to this song. Love’s rendition was vibrant and joyful.

The stage was packed with a full orchestra, complete with saxophonists, guitarists, a keyboardist, and background singers. Love gave them all the recognition they deserved. The richness of the live instrumentation paired perfectly with Love’s powerhouse vocals. The colorful beaming lights illuminated the stage throughout the evening, shining down on the singer.

More Christmas songs included “Sleigh Bells Ring,’ ‘Jingle Bell Rock,’ and ‘Let it Snow.’ She also performed the classics, “White Christmas’ and ‘Joy to the World.’ The evening concluded with a moving rendition of, ‘Marvelous’ sung by Love and her talented background singers. This song found soul and was filled with heart.

Love included everyone during the evening, enjoying her time with fellow fans. She played a quick activity, “How many shower singers do we have out there?” A loud response came from the audience. It turns out, we’ve already been practicing to become background singers.

One unexpected moment happened during the evening when a winged guest was buzzing around Love who scrambled away. “I finished the song, didn’t I?” she laughed proudly. “I’m really afraid of bugs.”

The audience reaction was amazing during the evening, erupting in applause and giving standing ovations. When I scanned the audience, who were standing and cheering, I felt immense gratitude. An eight-year-old girl was dancing in the front row. Love danced with her for a bit until hugging the young girl. It was the most precious moment of the evening.

This is a night you didn’t want to end. To experience Darlene Love perform live, especially in an intimate venue like the Cabot was an absolute treat.