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The yearly Rhythm and Blues Christmas Concert showcased a roster of performers renowned for their holiday records. Rather than focusing on carols, the evening acted as a nostalgic excuse for a voyage back to the sincere and emotional sound of 90s R&B.

Starting Performances: Classic Feelings

Dru Hill presented iconic R&B in matching attire, with music videos from the 2000s displaying on screens behind them. Following this, a performance of mostly ballads from the artist Joe set the stage for the main artists.

Toni Braxton's Moving Performance

The beginning of Burna Boy’s Last Last cleverly segued into He Wasn’t Man Enough, tying in Braxton's artistic heritage. At first, her performance with a live band seemed anchored in the era of her greatest fame.

However, nine songs into her performance, she opened up about her struggle with lupus and being told she might not perform live again. Performing Breathe Again in a solitary beam of light, she gave a profoundly emotional performance. “As long as I live, I will never forget tonight,” she stated earnestly.

Driving guitar chords then catapulted the audience into Long As I Live, cementing her grip over the audience's hearts. She encored with an flawless, though slightly abridged, rendition of her iconic hit, Un-break My Heart.

Boyz II Men: Harmony Virtuosos

Taking the stage in strikingly coordinated white suits, Boyz II Men opened with Motownphilly. They moved through hits like Water Runs Dry and On Bended Knee, demonstrating breathtaking three-part harmonies that were both precise and reactive to their live band.

Their set included covers of influences, such as a standout guitar piece on Purple Rain, and tracks inspired by them, like Bruno Mars’s Locked Out of Heaven.

A Dash of Holiday Cheer

Finally, the evening turned to the Christmas theme with renditions of Silent Night and Let It Snow. The performance concluded with a strong closing run of hits including One Sweet Day, I’ll Make Love To You, and End of the Road.

Final Thoughts

While the night's technical execution experienced some hiccups, and the feeling at times was of stars performing a tribute to their past selves, the net result was transformative. The audience was briefly taken back to the golden age of R&B, leaving dusted with sparkle rather than snow.