Rhythm and Blues Xmas Concert Review: A Heartfelt Journey Back to the 90s
This yearly R&B Xmas Ball featured a lineup of artists known for their Christmas albums. Instead of focusing on seasonal songs, the night served as a nostalgic excuse for a voyage back to the earnest and emotional style of 90s R&B.
Opening Acts: Classic Vibes
The group Dru Hill presented iconic R&B in coordinated attire, with music videos from the 2000s era playing behind them. Next, a set of primarily slow jams from the artist Joe set the stage for the main acts.
Toni Braxton's Moving Set
The beginning of the song Last Last skillfully segued into He Wasn’t Man Enough, tying in Braxton's artistic heritage. At first, her show with a backing band seemed rooted in the era of her peak fame.
However, nine songs into her performance, she spoke about her battles with lupus and being told she might not sing live again. Performing Breathe Again in a solitary beam of light, she gave a deeply heartfelt performance. “As long as I live, I will never forget tonight,” she stated sincerely.
Driving guitar chords then catapulted the audience into Long As I Live, cementing her grip over the audience's emotions. She encored with an impeccable, though somewhat abridged, rendition of her signature hit, Un-break My Heart.
The Group Boyz II Men: Vocal Masters
Taking the stage in strikingly coordinated white outfits, Boyz II Men began with Motownphilly. They moved through classics like Water Runs Dry and On Bended Knee, demonstrating awe-inspiring three-way vocals that were both precise and reactive to their accompaniment.
Their set included covers of inspirations, such as a standout solo on Purple Rain, and tracks influenced by them, like Bruno Mars’s Locked Out of Heaven.
A Touch of Christmas Cheer
Finally, the concert embraced the Christmas mood with performances of Silent Night and Let It Snow. The show concluded with a powerful finale of anthems including One Sweet Day, I’ll Make Love To You, and End of the Road.
Overall Thoughts
Although the evening's technical execution experienced some hiccups, and the feeling at times was of artists performing a tribute to their past selves, the overall effect was transformative. The crowd was temporarily transported to the golden age of R&B, going home dusted with sparkle rather than frost.