Rhett and Link: Live in Concert 2019 at Smart Financial Center at Sugarland. Photo by The Signal Managing Editor Miles Shellshear.

REVIEW: ‘Rhett and Link: Live in Concert’ brings the mythical best out of Houston

By Miles Shellshear, Editor-in-Chief Last updated Jul 23, 2021 1,918 0

Miles Shellshear, managing editor of The Signal with Rhett and Link at the post-show meet and greet. Photo by The Signal Managing Editor Miles Shellshear.

Sept. 4 at the Smart Financial Center brought internet legends Rhett McLachlan and Charles Lincoln “Link” Neal to Houston for their “Rhett and Link: Live in Concert” 2019 tour.

The best friend duo has long been active on YouTube. The pair is unequivocally among the most prolific creators on the platform. They are well known for conducting taste tests, playing elaborate games with celebrity guests and occasional musical comedy duets.

Rhett and Link have hosted the widely popular daily morning show “Good Mythical Morning” (GMM) on YouTube since 2012, regularly achieving in excess of 1 million views per video.

The variety style show is comprised of the main episode and a bonus post-show segment called “Good Mythical More” in which the duo offers a more relaxed format and are often accompanied by any guests from the main episode as they engage in additional game or activity.

After the success of their 2017 “Tour of Mythicality,” which accompanied and promoted the accompanying “Book of Mythicality,” Rhett and Link embarked on their second tour “Rhett and Link: Live in Concert” during the summer of 2019.

Britton Buchanan performed an intimate and close set prior to Rhett and Link’s set. Photo by The Signal Managing Editor Miles Shellshear.

The show opened with a set by Britton Buchanan, a 2018 finalist from the popular reality singing competition, “The Voice.” Buchanan is also the cousin of Link Neal and currently resides with him in California.

With a set full of singer-songwriter tinged delights, Buchanan charmed the audience with his impressive vocal skills and versatile blues rock acoustic guitar playing. Buchanan did perform two songs with particularly comedic flavors, most notably his final song, being under “contractual obligation.” The song contained lyrics which encouraged fans to make their way to the merchandise booth to purchase the various merchandise options.

Buchanan’s set left the audience swooned and in stitches, perfectly warmed up for the show to come. Ultimately, his songs were whole-hearted and honest, a welcome introduction to the over-the-top stylings of Rhett and Link’s comedic duets.

Rhett and Link took to the stage with their “First Comment Song.” With Rhett on acoustic guitar and Link on harmonica, the duo had the audience erupting into laughter with the all too familiar “first” comment internet phenomenon.

Throughout the set, they performed classic deep cuts from their earlier days on YouTube including “The Sunburn Song,” “Middle School Girlfriend” and “Water Dispensing Tab Song.” The duo also played fan favorites like “Nilla Wafer Top Hat Time,” “Epic Rap Battle: Nerd vs. Geek,” “I’m On Vacation” and “It’s My Belly Button.”

Rhett and Link performing “Nilla Wafer Top Hat Time” with accompanying costumes. Photo by The Signal Managing Editor Miles Shellshear.

After an epic rap battle showdown, Rhett and Link returned for an encore of their song “My OCD” and “Friends ‘til the End” to finish out the hilarious and family fun-filled show. After the show, VIP fans waited up for a meet and greet opportunity with the comedy duet.

Thanks to the kindness of an internet stranger with an extra VIP ticket, I was able to attend a meet and greet, and have the opportunity to meet Rhett and Link themselves. My new friend Jordan had posted to the Good Mythical Morning Reddit forum offering an extra VIP pass to a fan in Houston. I was elated upon seeing the post and immediately reached out to see if it was still available. Jordan messaged me back all the details and said he’d meet up with me at the venue.

We met up before the show and hit it off, having conversations about our favorite GMM videos, Rhett and Link songs and our other favorite YouTubers and pop culture hobbies. I ended up having an incredible time with him and we both laughed hysterically throughout the show. Afterwards, we waited together in anticipation of the meet and greet. We saw fans laugh, cry, give gifts and pose happily with Rhett and Link.

Rhett and Link were incredibly kind, generous and understanding to their fans as they gave comforting hugs to crying fans, handshakes, introductions, smiles and laughs with the fans in Houston. By the end of the night, it was apparent to me that Rhett and Link had brought the mythical best out of Houston, and I sincerely hope they come back to do it again soon.

If you have the chance to catch Rhett and Link on their “Live in Concert” tour, don’t miss it.

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