Rhythm and Blues Xmas Concert Recap: An Emotional Trip Back to the 90s
The second annual R&B Xmas Ball featured a roster of artists renowned for their holiday albums. Instead of focusing on seasonal songs, the evening acted as a sentimental excuse for a voyage back to the earnest and emotional sound of 90s R&B.
Starting Performances: Timeless Feelings
The group Dru Hill delivered classic R&B in matching attire, with videos from the 2000s playing on screens behind them. Next, a set of primarily slow jams from the artist Joe prepared the audience for the main artists.
The Powerful Performance
The beginning of the song Last Last skillfully segued into He Wasn’t Man Enough, tying in Braxton's artistic heritage. At first, her show with a backing band seemed rooted in the era of her peak fame.
However, nine songs into her set, she spoke about her battles with lupus and being told she might never sing live again. Singing Breathe Again in a solitary beam of light, she gave a deeply emotional performance. “As long as I live, I will never forget tonight,” she declared earnestly.
Driving guitar chords then catapulted the crowd into Long As I Live, cementing her grip over the audience's emotions. She finished with an flawless, though somewhat shortened, version of her signature hit, Un-break My Heart.
Boyz II Men: Harmony Masters
Taking the stage in strikingly matching white suits, Boyz II Men began with Motownphilly. They performed classics like Water Runs Dry and On Bended Knee, showcasing breathtaking three-way vocals that were both precise and responsive to their accompaniment.
Their set featured covers of influences, such as a memorable guitar piece on Purple Rain, and tracks influenced by them, like Bruno Mars’s Locked Out of Heaven.
A Dash of Christmas Cheer
Towards the end, the evening embraced the Christmas theme with renditions of Silent Night and Let It Snow. The show concluded with a powerful finale of hits including One Sweet Day, I’ll Make Love To You, and End of the Road.
Final Impressions
While the night's production experienced some hiccups, and the feeling at times was of artists performing a tribute to their past selves, the net effect was transformative. The audience was briefly taken back to the golden age of R&B, leaving sprinkled with glitter rather than frost.
