Rhythm and Blues Christmas Ball Review: A Heartfelt Journey Back to the 90s
This second annual R&B Xmas Ball featured a lineup of performers renowned for their Christmas albums. Instead of centering on seasonal songs, the evening acted as a sentimental excuse for a voyage back to the sincere and heart-rending sound of 1990s R&B.
Opening Acts: Classic Feelings
The group Dru Hill presented iconic R&B in matching attire, with music videos from the 2000s displaying behind them. Following this, a performance of primarily slow jams from Joe prepared the audience for the headlining artists.
Toni Braxton's Powerful Performance
The beginning of Burna Boy’s Last Last skillfully segued into He Wasn’t Man Enough, tying in Braxton's artistic legacy. At first, her show with a live band seemed rooted in the time period of her peak success.
Then, nine songs into her performance, she spoke about her battles with lupus and being told she might never perform on stage again. Singing Breathe Again in a single spotlight, she delivered a deeply emotional moment. “As long as I live, I will never forget tonight,” she declared sincerely.
Power chords then launched the audience into Long As I Live, cementing her grip over the crowd's hearts. She finished with an impeccable, though slightly abridged, rendition of her signature hit, Un-break My Heart.
The Group Boyz II Men: Harmony Virtuosos
Taking the stage in dazzlingly matching white outfits, Boyz II Men began with Motownphilly. They moved through hits like Water Runs Dry and On Bended Knee, demonstrating awe-inspiring three-part harmonies that were both precise and responsive to their live band.
Their set included interpretations of influences, including a memorable guitar piece on Purple Rain, and tracks inspired by them, like Bruno Mars’s Locked Out of Heaven.
A Touch of Holiday Spirit
Towards the end, the evening embraced the holiday mood with performances of Silent Night and Let It Snow. The show concluded with a powerful closing run of anthems including One Sweet Day, I’ll Make Love To You, and End of the Road.
Overall Impressions
While the evening's technical execution had some hiccups, and the feeling at points was of stars performing a tribute to their past selves, the overall result was transportive. The audience was briefly transported to the peak era of R&B, leaving sprinkled with glitter rather than frost.
