🔗 Share this article

This yearly Rhythm and Blues Christmas Concert featured a lineup of performers known for their Christmas records. Rather than focusing on carols, the evening served as a sentimental excuse for a trip back to the sincere and emotional style of 1990s R&B.

Opening Performances: Classic Feelings

Dru Hill delivered iconic R&B in coordinated outfits, with videos from the 2000s playing on screens behind them. Next, a set of primarily slow jams from Joe prepared the audience for the main acts.

Toni Braxton's Powerful Performance

The opening of Burna Boy’s Last Last cleverly segued into He Wasn’t Man Enough, tying in Braxton's musical legacy. At first, her show with a live band seemed rooted in the time period of her peak fame.

Then, deep into her performance, she opened up about her battles with lupus and being told she might never perform on stage 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 stated sincerely.

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

Boyz II Men: Vocal Virtuosos

Appearing on stage in dazzlingly matching all-white outfits, Boyz II Men began with Motownphilly. They performed classics like Water Runs Dry and On Bended Knee, demonstrating breathtaking three-part vocals that were both tight and reactive to their live band.

Their set featured interpretations of inspirations, including a memorable solo on Purple Rain, and songs influenced by them, like Bruno Mars’s Locked Out of Heaven.

A Dash of Holiday Spirit

Towards the end, the evening turned to the Christmas mood with renditions of Silent Night and Let It Snow. The show concluded with a strong finale of hits including One Sweet Day, I’ll Make Love To You, and End of the Road.

Overall Impressions

Although the evening's production had some hiccups, and the sense at points was of artists performing a tribute to their younger selves, the net result was transportive. The crowd was temporarily transported to the peak era of R&B, going home sprinkled with sparkle rather than snow.