Rhythm and Blues Xmas Concert Review: An Emotional Journey Back to the Nineties

This yearly Rhythm and Blues Christmas Concert featured a roster of performers known for their holiday records. Instead of focusing on carols, the night acted as a sentimental reason for a voyage back to the earnest and heart-rending sound of 1990s R&B.

Opening Acts: Timeless Feelings

Dru Hill delivered classic R&B in matching outfits, with videos from the 2000s displaying on screens behind them. Following this, a performance of mostly ballads from Joe prepared the audience for the main acts.

Toni Braxton's Moving Set

The opening of the song Last Last cleverly segued into He Wasn’t Man Enough, tying in Braxton's artistic legacy. At first, her performance with a backing band appeared anchored in the era of her peak success.

However, nine songs into her set, she spoke about her struggle with lupus and being told she might never sing live again. Singing Breathe Again in a single spotlight, she delivered a deeply emotional performance. “For as long as I live, I will never forget tonight,” she declared sincerely.

Power chords then catapulted the audience into Long As I Live, cementing her command over the audience's emotions. She encored with an impeccable, though slightly shortened, version of her signature hit, Un-break My Heart.

Boyz II Men: Harmony Virtuosos

Taking the stage in strikingly matching white outfits, Boyz II Men opened with Motownphilly. They performed classics like Water Runs Dry and On Bended Knee, showcasing breathtaking three-part harmonies that were both precise and responsive to their live band.

Their performance featured interpretations of inspirations, 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 Spirit

Towards the end, the concert embraced the holiday theme with renditions of Silent Night and Let It Snow. The performance ended with a powerful closing run of anthems including One Sweet Day, I’ll Make Love To You, and End of the Road.

Final Impressions

Although the evening's production experienced some hiccups, and the feeling at points was of artists paying homage to their past selves, the net result was transformative. The audience was temporarily taken back to the golden age of R&B, going home sprinkled with glitter rather than frost.