R&B Xmas Concert Review: A Emotional Journey Returning to the 90s
This second annual R&B Xmas Ball featured a roster of artists known for their Christmas albums. Rather than centering on carols, the night served as a sentimental reason for a voyage back to the sincere and emotional style of 90s R&B.
Opening Performances: Timeless Vibes
The group Dru Hill delivered iconic R&B in coordinated outfits, with videos from the 2000s era playing on screens behind them. Following this, a performance of mostly ballads from the artist Joe prepared the audience for the main acts.
Toni Braxton's Moving Performance
The beginning of Burna Boy’s Last Last cleverly segued into He Wasn’t Man Enough, tying in Braxton's musical heritage. Initially, her performance with a backing band appeared anchored in the time period of her peak fame.
However, deep into her performance, she opened up about her battles with lupus and being told she might never perform live again. Singing Breathe Again in a solitary beam of light, she gave a deeply emotional moment. “For as long as I live, I will never forget tonight,” she declared earnestly.
Power chords then catapulted the crowd into Long As I Live, cementing her command over the audience's hearts. She encored with an impeccable, though slightly abridged, version of her iconic hit, Un-break My Heart.
The Group Boyz II Men: Vocal Virtuosos
Taking the stage in strikingly matching all-white outfits, Boyz II Men opened with Motownphilly. They performed hits like Water Runs Dry and On Bended Knee, demonstrating breathtaking three-part harmonies that were both precise and reactive to their accompaniment.
Their performance included covers of inspirations, such as a memorable solo on Purple Rain, and songs influenced by them, like Bruno Mars’s Locked Out of Heaven.
A Dash of Christmas Spirit
Towards the end, the concert turned to the holiday theme with renditions 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 had some glitches, and the sense at times was of artists performing a tribute to their past selves, the net result was transportive. The audience was temporarily transported to the peak era of R&B, leaving dusted with glitter rather than frost.
