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Australian-born, Nashville-raised brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone built for KING + COUNTRY on stacked harmonies, big drums, and faith-forward pop. Their Christmas run turns those traits into a pageant of toms and carols, with the duo leading like rally captains rather than crooners.

Sticks and a story

Expect the drumline flourish on Little Drummer Boy, kinetic takes on O Come, O Come Emmanuel, and a tender corner for O Holy Night. They often slide in a couple of their radio staples, so God Only Knows or Burn The Ships may surface between the sleigh bells. Consider these setlist and staging hunches as road-tested guesses, not a binding promise.

Setlist, give or take

The crowd skews multi-generational - parents in cozy sweaters, teens filming the drum breaks, little kids clutching foam sticks and wearing ear muffs. You hear church friends meeting work friends, polite aisles, and big room singalongs that rise naturally on the carols. Early on they performed as Joel & Luke, and their sister Rebecca St. James once had them as backing vocalists before they found their own sound. A recurring quirk of this tour is how many floor toms appear on stage at once, sometimes more than a small drumline would dare pack. It all clicks best when this holiday tour reaches your town, the kind that makes leaving the arena feel like walking out of a candlelight service into brisk night air.

Red scarves, tin bells, and a soft roar

The room fills with knit beanies, plaid coats, and the occasional toy drum tucked under an arm like a keepsake.

Warmth in winter layers

Merch skews cozy and seasonal, with ornaments, scarves, and drumstick bundles that double as light-up batons when the beat drops. During Little Drummer Boy, pockets of the floor click into the same two-clap pattern, and you hear a soft rumble of hand drums from kids echoing the stage. The loudest singalong often comes on the simple refrains, where families lean in and stack harmonies like a living choir. Fans swap cocoa recipes in line, trade church camp stories between sets, and gently coach first-timers on when to clap. There is usually a brief, quiet pause before the encore when the chatter dims, people take a breath, and the night resets for one last carol. After the bows, groups gather for photos under a lobby wreath, comparing which sticks caught confetti and which beanies stayed put through the drum breaks.

March of the toms and how the songs breathe live

Live, the brothers split lead duty so one shapes the melody in chest voice while the other stacks a high harmony that cuts through the drums. The band builds arrangements around toms, floor-shaking kick, and bright glockenspiel or bells, then threads in synth pads to glue the transitions. Carols often arrive in minor-key reharmonizations with halftime drops, so Little Drummer Boy thunders while strings carve a tense, cinematic line. They are savvy about keys, dropping a half step on a few big singalongs to keep the room comfortable without dulling the shine. Acoustic guitars stay in standard tuning with capos to chase seasonal keys, letting the players swap textures fast between hymns and hits. You hear clever call-and-response breaks where percussion takes the hook and vocals answer, a move that turns 4 minutes into a brisk, rising arc. Lighting shifts from warm amber to icy blue between sacred and pop moments, with strobes saved for snare flams and a snowfall effect during the finale. On ballads, they tuck a quiet three-part stack behind the lead and ride a soft drone so the last chorus blossoms without feeling forced.

Kindred bells that ring the same lane

Fans who rotate carols with choruses often also follow Lauren Daigle, whose soulful delivery and arena-scale visuals line up with the duo's warm uplift. TobyMac brings the pop-sprint energy and danceable drops, which map to the drum-heavy moments in this show. Zach Williams shares the gritty, testimonial side of modern faith-pop, drawing a similar cross-generational crowd. Switchfoot overlaps on the anthemic, hope-soaked rock beats and a knack for refrains that soar without shouting. Casting Crowns sits nearby too, especially for those who value clear storytelling and a sing-together chorus over pyrotechnics. If these artists live in your playlists, this holiday set will feel like the bright, percussion-forward cousin you already know.