Hall and Oates Add a 'Twist' to Holiday Classics in New York

Those lucky enough to snag tickets to Hall and Oates' sold-out stop at New York's Beacon Theatre on Sunday were treated to some early yuletide cheer. The duo performed covers of Robbie Robertson's 'Christmas Must Be Tonight,' as well as some other familiar holiday classics. "This is a traditional Christmas song, but we put a twist to it," Daryl Hall said before launching into the band's contemporary arrangement of 'It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.' Meanwhile, 'Jingle Bell Rock' needed no introduction, except for a simple "Y'all know this one."

The rest of Hall and Oates' 90-minute set focused on non-denominational career highlights of rock 'n' soul. The first few songs were heavy on the former -- Hall, dressed in a leather jacket, jeans and sunglasses, got audience members standing even before he launched into the opening muscular strains of 'Maneater.' Backed by a six-piece supporting band, he and John Oates then delivered faithful renditions of 'Family Man' and 'Out of Touch.'

Hall and Oates are touring in support of their 2010 greatest hits collection, 'Do What You Want, Be What You Are,' and the set drew heavily on fan favorites. The remainder of the evening contained their soulful tales of love ('Kiss on My List'), loss ('She's Gone') and class conflict ('Rich Girl'). In between, Hall riffed on a range of topics, including his "Live From Daryl's House" talk-show series. He announced the program would move from the Web to satellite TV for an upcoming two-hour New Year's Eve special. "Instead of watching the ball drop, you can watch my balls drop -- which is more fun, I promise you," he joked.

The catalog-spanning performance was rife with honeyed vocals, as well as several guitar and saxophone face-offs between back-up players Paul Pesco and Charlie DeChant. The multi-generational crowd was often encouraged to dance by percussionist Everett Bradley, who was tasked with playing tambourines, maracas and a cowbell, often at the same time. By the time the band closed its first encore with a well-loved classic from 1980's 'Voices,' the audience was on its feet and the halls of the three-story venue rang with repeated chants of "You make my dreams come true."