🔗 Share this article Rhythm and Blues Xmas Concert Review: An Emotional Trip Back to the Nineties The yearly R&B Xmas Ball featured a roster of performers known for their Christmas records. Rather than focusing on carols, the evening served as a nostalgic excuse for a trip back to the earnest and emotional style of 1990s R&B. Starting Performances: Classic Feelings Dru Hill delivered classic R&B in coordinated outfits, with videos from the 2000s era playing on screens behind them. Following this, a performance of primarily ballads from the artist Joe prepared the audience for the headlining artists. Toni Braxton's Moving Set The beginning of Burna Boy’s Last Last cleverly transitioned into He Wasn’t Man Enough, tying in Braxton's artistic legacy. At first, her performance with a live band seemed rooted in the era of her greatest success. Then, 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 profoundly emotional moment. “For as long as I live, I will never forget tonight,” she declared earnestly. Driving guitar chords then launched the audience into Long As I Live, cementing her command over the crowd's hearts. She finished with an impeccable, though somewhat abridged, rendition of her signature hit, Un-break My Heart. Boyz II Men: Vocal Masters Appearing on stage in strikingly coordinated all-white suits, Boyz II Men began with Motownphilly. They performed classics like Water Runs Dry and On Bended Knee, demonstrating breathtaking three-part harmonies that were both tight and responsive to their live band. Their performance featured interpretations of influences, such as a memorable solo on Purple Rain, and songs inspired by them, like Bruno Mars’s Locked Out of Heaven. A Touch of Christmas Spirit Finally, the evening turned to the holiday theme with renditions of Silent Night and Let It Snow. The performance concluded with a strong closing run of anthems including One Sweet Day, I’ll Make Love To You, and End of the Road. Overall Impressions While the night's production had some glitches, and the feeling at points was of artists performing a tribute to their younger selves, the net result was transportive. The crowd was briefly transported to the peak era of R&B, leaving sprinkled with glitter rather than frost.