A cappella group Pentatonix performed a mix of holiday classics and originals Thursday night at Grand Casino Arena in downtown St. Paul. The five-member group — Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi, Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin Olusola and Matt Sallee — released its “Christmas in the City” album in October. 

Hoying told the audience that the group aimed for a sound inspired by Christmas classics such as those of Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra before performing a rendition of Sinatra’s “I’ve Got Love to Keep Me Warm.”

The group’s set consisted of two acts separated by a 30-minute intermission, three outfit changes featuring white, red and navy sparkly suits and dresses. The backdrop varied between scenes of an icy cityscape and a tall, illuminated Christmas tree between a classic 1950s taxi-cab and a marquee listing the concert’s city and date.

A crowd favorite was the group’s improvised segment, where large inflatable dice determined both song and genre. 

After one roll landed on four, the group performed a sped-up version of “Jingle Bells.” A second dice roll selected genres such as EDM, Broadway, pop-punk, hip-hop, sea shanty and country. The audience laughed when the group sang “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” in sea-shanty style.

For many fans, the group’s bond with the audience was a highlight of the show. Amy McNamara, attending with her daughter and longtime Pentatonix fan Mollie McNamara, said they try to catch a concert at least once every year as part of their mother-daughter tradition.

“I like how they interact with the audience,” Amy said. “I think it’s fabulous. I also like the various types of music — it’s Christmas, but they handle it so many different ways.”

Pentatonix also paid tribute to what Hoying called the “misfits” of the crowd — those on Santa’s naughty list — by performing “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” alongside original songs “Elf,” “Blitzen” and “Bah Humbug” from “Christmas in the City.” A T-shirt cannon was used following “Elf” that launched merchandise and an elf figurine to the crowd. 

Hoying discussed his time making three TikToks per day while competing on Season 34 of “Dancing with the Stars,” before creating a TikTok video with the audience. He instructed fans to mimic the kick, hi-hat and snare sounds of a drum by raising the flashlights of their cell phones whenever he pointed their way. Hoying cued them through beats to songs such as “We Will Rock You” by Queen and “Lip Gloss” by Lil Mama, which made the audience laugh. 

Throughout the arena, many noticed the diversity of the crowd: families, couples, longtime fans and first-time attendees, young and old.

“You don’t see that at a lot of concerts,” Mollie McNamara said. “You see a lot of the targeted audience, but here, it’s everybody. That’s the best part.” 

Longtime fans of Pentatonix, Evelyn Juliussen, Ann Tuhy and their daughters, Nicole and Sara Giese, attended the show to kick off the holiday season with their first-ever concert together as a family. They shared a similar feeling of unity.

“We need to come together as a country,” Juliussen said. “Being able to be who you are, not having to look over your shoulder all the time, and being safe is important. In a lot of places right now, I don’t feel safe. But here, I feel safe.”