Rhythm and Blues Christmas Concert Review: A Emotional Journey Returning to the Nineties
This second annual Rhythm and Blues Christmas Concert showcased a roster of performers renowned for their Christmas albums. Instead of focusing on seasonal songs, the evening acted as a sentimental reason for a voyage back to the earnest and heart-rending style of 90s R&B.
Starting Performances: Timeless Vibes
The group Dru Hill delivered classic R&B in matching outfits, with music videos from the 2000s playing on screens behind them. Next, a set of mostly ballads from the artist Joe set the stage for the headlining artists.
Toni Braxton's Moving Performance
The opening of Burna Boy’s Last Last skillfully segued into He Wasn’t Man Enough, tying in Braxton's artistic legacy. At first, her performance with a live band seemed rooted in the time period of her greatest fame.
Then, nine songs into her set, she opened up about her struggle with lupus and being told she might never perform live again. Singing Breathe Again in a single spotlight, she delivered a deeply heartfelt moment. “As long as I live, I will never forget tonight,” she declared earnestly.
Power chords then launched the crowd into Long As I Live, cementing her command over the crowd's hearts. She encored with an impeccable, though somewhat abridged, rendition of her iconic hit, Un-break My Heart.
The Group Boyz II Men: Harmony Virtuosos
Taking the stage in dazzlingly matching all-white suits, Boyz II Men began with Motownphilly. They moved through hits like Water Runs Dry and On Bended Knee, demonstrating awe-inspiring three-part vocals that were both precise and responsive to their live band.
Their performance included covers of inspirations, such as a memorable solo on Purple Rain, and songs inspired by them, like Bruno Mars’s Locked Out of Heaven.
A Dash of Christmas Cheer
Finally, the evening turned to the Christmas theme with performances of Silent Night and Let It Snow. The show concluded with a powerful closing run of anthems including One Sweet Day, I’ll Make Love To You, and End of the Road.
Overall Thoughts
Although the evening's production experienced some hiccups, and the feeling at points was of stars paying homage to their younger selves, the net result was transportive. The audience was briefly transported to the peak era of R&B, going home dusted with sparkle rather than frost.
