R&B Christmas Ball Review: A Emotional Journey Returning to the Nineties
The yearly Rhythm and Blues Christmas Concert showcased a lineup of artists renowned for their holiday records. Instead of centering on seasonal songs, the night served as a nostalgic excuse for a voyage back to the sincere and heart-rending style of 90s R&B.
Opening Acts: Timeless Feelings
Dru Hill delivered iconic R&B in matching attire, with videos from the 2000s playing behind them. Following this, a performance of mostly slow jams from Joe prepared the audience for the main artists.
Toni Braxton's Moving Set
The opening of the song Last Last cleverly transitioned into He Wasn’t Man Enough, tying in Braxton's artistic heritage. At first, her performance with a live band seemed rooted in the era of her greatest success.
However, deep into her set, she opened up about her battles with lupus and being told she might never perform on stage again. Performing Breathe Again in a solitary beam of light, she delivered a profoundly heartfelt moment. “As long as I live, I will never forget tonight,” she declared sincerely.
Power chords then catapulted the crowd into Long As I Live, cementing her command over the audience's emotions. She finished with an impeccable, though slightly abridged, rendition of her iconic hit, Un-break My Heart.
Boyz II Men: Harmony Masters
Taking the stage in strikingly matching all-white outfits, Boyz II Men began with Motownphilly. They performed hits like Water Runs Dry and On Bended Knee, showcasing breathtaking three-way vocals that were both precise and reactive to their accompaniment.
Their performance featured covers of inspirations, such as a memorable guitar piece on Purple Rain, and songs inspired by them, like Bruno Mars’s Locked Out of Heaven.
A Dash of Holiday Spirit
Towards the end, the concert embraced the Christmas mood with performances of Silent Night and Let It Snow. The show concluded with a strong closing run of hits 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 sense at times was of artists paying homage to their past selves, the overall result was transformative. The crowd was briefly transported to the peak era of R&B, leaving dusted with sparkle rather than frost.
