Rhythm and Blues Xmas Ball Recap: An Heartfelt Trip Back to the 90s
This yearly R&B Xmas Ball featured a roster of performers renowned for their holiday records. Instead of focusing on seasonal songs, the evening acted as a sentimental reason for a voyage back to the earnest and emotional style of 1990s R&B.
Starting Performances: Classic Vibes
The group Dru Hill presented classic R&B in matching attire, with videos from the 2000s displaying on screens behind them. Next, a set of primarily ballads from Joe set the stage for the headlining artists.
Toni Braxton's Moving Set
The beginning of the song Last Last cleverly segued into He Wasn’t Man Enough, tying in Braxton's artistic heritage. Initially, her performance with a live band seemed anchored in the era of her greatest success.
However, nine songs into her performance, she opened up about her struggle with lupus and being told she might never perform on stage again. Singing Breathe Again in a solitary beam of light, she delivered a deeply emotional moment. “As long as I live, I will never forget tonight,” she declared sincerely.
Power chords then launched the crowd into Long As I Live, cementing her command over the crowd's emotions. She encored with an impeccable, though somewhat shortened, version of her signature hit, Un-break My Heart.
The Group Boyz II Men: Vocal Masters
Taking the stage in strikingly matching white outfits, Boyz II Men opened with Motownphilly. They moved through hits like Water Runs Dry and On Bended Knee, demonstrating breathtaking three-way harmonies that were both precise and reactive to their live band.
Their performance included interpretations of inspirations, such as a standout solo on Purple Rain, and tracks inspired by them, like Bruno Mars’s Locked Out of Heaven.
A Dash of Holiday Spirit
Towards the end, the concert turned to the holiday theme with renditions of Silent Night and Let It Snow. The show ended with a powerful closing run of hits including One Sweet Day, I’ll Make Love To You, and End of the Road.
Final Thoughts
Although the night's technical execution had some hiccups, and the sense at points was of artists paying homage to their past selves, the net effect was transformative. The crowd was briefly transported to the peak era of R&B, leaving sprinkled with glitter rather than frost.
