R&B Christmas Concert Recap: An Emotional Journey Back to the 90s
The yearly R&B Xmas Ball featured a roster of performers renowned for their holiday records. Rather than centering on carols, the evening served as a nostalgic reason for a voyage back to the earnest and heart-rending style of 1990s R&B.
Starting Acts: Classic Vibes
The group Dru Hill presented classic R&B in coordinated outfits, with videos from the 2000s displaying behind them. Following this, a set of primarily ballads from Joe prepared the audience for the main acts.
The Moving Performance
The opening of the song Last Last cleverly segued into He Wasn’t Man Enough, connecting Braxton's musical heritage. Initially, her show with a live band seemed rooted in the era of her greatest fame.
However, nine songs into her set, she opened up about her struggle with lupus and being told she might never sing live again. Performing Breathe Again in a solitary beam of light, she gave a deeply emotional moment. “As long as I live, I will never forget tonight,” she stated earnestly.
Power chords then catapulted the audience into Long As I Live, solidifying her grip over the audience's hearts. She encored with an flawless, though somewhat shortened, version of her iconic hit, Un-break My Heart.
The Group Boyz II Men: Harmony Virtuosos
Taking the stage in strikingly coordinated white outfits, Boyz II Men opened with Motownphilly. They performed classics like Water Runs Dry and On Bended Knee, showcasing awe-inspiring three-way harmonies that were both tight and responsive to their accompaniment.
Their performance included covers of inspirations, such as a memorable solo on Purple Rain, and tracks influenced by them, like Bruno Mars’s Locked Out of Heaven.
A Touch of Holiday Cheer
Finally, the evening embraced the Christmas mood 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
While the night's production had some hiccups, and the sense at points was of artists paying homage to their younger selves, the net effect was transportive. The crowd was briefly transported to the peak era of R&B, going home dusted with glitter rather than snow.