R&B Christmas Concert Review: An Emotional Trip Back to the Nineties
The second annual Rhythm and Blues Christmas Concert featured a lineup of performers known for their holiday albums. Instead of focusing on carols, the night served as a sentimental reason for a voyage back to the earnest and heart-rending style of 90s R&B.
Starting Acts: Timeless Vibes
The group Dru Hill delivered iconic R&B in coordinated attire, with videos from the 2000s displaying on screens behind them. Next, a performance of mostly slow jams from Joe prepared the audience for the main artists.
Toni Braxton's Moving Performance
The opening of the song Last Last skillfully transitioned into He Wasn’t Man Enough, connecting Braxton's musical heritage. At first, her performance with a backing band seemed rooted in the era of her greatest fame.
Then, deep into her set, she opened up about her battles with lupus and being told she might not perform on stage again. Performing Breathe Again in a solitary beam of light, she gave a profoundly heartfelt performance. “As long as I live, I will never forget tonight,” she stated sincerely.
Driving guitar chords then catapulted the crowd into Long As I Live, cementing her command over the audience's hearts. She encored with an impeccable, though somewhat shortened, rendition of her iconic hit, Un-break My Heart.
The Group Boyz II Men: Harmony Masters
Taking the stage in strikingly coordinated white suits, Boyz II Men opened with Motownphilly. They performed hits like Water Runs Dry and On Bended Knee, demonstrating breathtaking three-way vocals that were both precise and responsive to their live band.
Their set included covers of influences, such as a memorable solo on Purple Rain, and tracks inspired by them, like Bruno Mars’s Locked Out of Heaven.
A Dash of Christmas Cheer
Finally, the concert turned to the holiday mood with renditions of Silent Night and Let It Snow. The performance ended with a strong closing run of anthems including One Sweet Day, I’ll Make Love To You, and End of the Road.
Final Impressions
While the night's production had some glitches, and the sense at points was of stars performing a tribute to their past selves, the net effect was transformative. The audience was temporarily taken back to the golden age of R&B, leaving dusted with glitter rather than frost.
