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The yearly Rhythm and Blues Christmas Concert featured a roster of performers known for their holiday albums. Instead of focusing on seasonal songs, the evening acted as a nostalgic excuse for a trip back to the earnest and heart-rending style of 90s R&B.

Opening Performances: Classic Vibes

The group Dru Hill delivered classic R&B in matching attire, with music videos from the 2000s era displaying behind them. Following this, a performance of primarily slow jams from Joe set the stage for the main artists.

Toni Braxton's Moving Performance

The beginning of the song Last Last skillfully segued into He Wasn’t Man Enough, tying in Braxton's artistic legacy. At first, her show with a live band appeared rooted in the era of her peak success.

However, nine songs into her set, she opened up about her battles with lupus and being told she might never sing live again. Singing Breathe Again in a solitary beam of light, she delivered a deeply heartfelt moment. “For as long as I live, I will never forget tonight,” she declared earnestly.

Power chords then catapulted the audience into Long As I Live, cementing her grip over the crowd's emotions. She encored with an impeccable, though somewhat abridged, rendition of her iconic hit, Un-break My Heart.

The Group Boyz II Men: Harmony Masters

Taking the stage in strikingly matching white suits, Boyz II Men opened with Motownphilly. They performed classics like Water Runs Dry and On Bended Knee, showcasing breathtaking three-way vocals that were both precise and responsive to their accompaniment.

Their performance featured covers of inspirations, such as a memorable guitar piece on Purple Rain, and tracks influenced by them, like Bruno Mars’s Locked Out of Heaven.

A Dash of Holiday Cheer

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

Final Thoughts

While the evening's technical execution had some glitches, and the sense at times was of artists performing a tribute to their younger selves, the overall result was transportive. The crowd was temporarily taken back to the peak era of R&B, leaving dusted with glitter rather than snow.