It was certainly one of their best shows of this year. They kicked off their set with their namesake song “Larger Than Life” a little after 11 p.m., with Toly belting out the opening verse and the rest of the band joined in, and they immediately broke into “Tearin’ Up My Heart” by N SYNC and Boyz II Men (“Motownphilly”) and New Kids on the Block medleys (their dance moves during “Step by Step” were spot on, with Chris Jehnert and Edvin Ortega killing it) and their noteworthy “Dirty Medley.”
A neat addition to their set was “Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely” by the Backstreet Boys, where all five band members evenly divided the vocals, and they all delivered a fantastic version. Kudos to Toly for opening the song, and compliments for Chris Jehnert for nailing the high “Tell me why I can’t be there where you are” segment, with ease and power.
It was great to hear them cover such contemporary tunes as Zayn’s “Pillowtalk,” where their fans, affectionately known as The Larger Than Life Army, threw panties at them from their front row spots in the audience. The boys were having fun, and Price Adam Troche Jr. delivered on the difficult high harmonies.
Although Toly did not perform “Livin’ La Vida Loca” by Ricky Martin this time, he more than made up for it with a superb rendition of Justin Bieber’s “Despacito,” where he nailed the rich, Spanglish vocals, while Devin brought the song home by nailing Luis Fonsi’s part: “This is how we do it down in Puerto Rico,” in a fun, flirty way.
They also tipped their hats to Hanson by singing a few verses of “MMMBop,” and one of the most mellifluous moments of the night was their version of BBMak’s “Back Here,” which was the epitome of 90’s nostalgia, as the fans were reciting the lyrics to this tune back to them.
Larger Than Life continued singing hit after hit, including “Quit Playing Games with My Heart” and “It’s Gonna Be Me” by N SYNC, yet again, props to the group for the top-notch choreography skills and soulful harmonies. Equally moving and passionate was their rendition of “Because of You” by 98 Degrees.
“I Want It That Way” was another exceptional vocal (courtesy of Devin, Edvin and Toly) and they immediately broke into another Backstreet Boys tune, “I’ll Never Break Your Heart.” They closed their 90-minute set with “Bye Bye Bye,” and they returned for an encore, where they paid tribute to one of their favorite all-girl groups, the Spice Girls, with “Say You’ll Be There,” as well as O-Town with their signature ballad “All or Nothing.”
Prior to leaving the stage, the boys revealed that they will be going on a cruise next year to Bermuda, where they invited their fans to come and sail with them. To learn more about their upcoming cruise, check out the Boy Band Cruise website.
Also, on October 13, they will be returning to Mulcahy’s for a special 90’s Night, which will be hosted by Lance Bass from N SYNC.
Singer-songwriter Lorena Cajes, who was present at the concert, remarked, “Larger Than Life was awesome. It was like going back in time! I loved it! I had a blast.”
The Verdict
Overall, Larger Than Life was incredible at Mulcahy’s Pub and Concert Hall, for their two-year anniversary at this venue. It had been a true pleasure watching their growth and maturity as vocalists and performers over the last two years, as well as the growth of their own artistry. Here’s to many more years of entertainment and anniversaries from this gifted and talented quintet. Their live Sept. 29 show at Mulcahy’s garnered five out of five stars.
