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This yearly Rhythm and Blues Christmas Concert featured a roster of performers renowned for their holiday records. Instead of centering on carols, the night acted as a sentimental reason for a voyage back to the sincere and heart-rending style of 90s R&B.

Starting Acts: Classic Feelings

The group Dru Hill delivered classic R&B in matching attire, with videos from the 2000s displaying behind them. Next, a set of mostly slow jams from Joe prepared the audience for the main artists.

Toni Braxton's Moving Set

The beginning of the song Last Last cleverly transitioned into He Wasn’t Man Enough, tying in Braxton's artistic legacy. At first, her show with a backing band seemed anchored in the time period of her peak success.

However, deep into her set, she opened up about her struggle with lupus and being told she might not perform on stage again. Singing Breathe Again in a solitary beam of light, she delivered a profoundly heartfelt performance. “As long as I live, I will never forget tonight,” she declared sincerely.

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

The Group Boyz II Men: Harmony Virtuosos

Appearing on stage in strikingly matching all-white outfits, 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 reactive to their accompaniment.

Their set featured covers 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 Christmas Cheer

Towards the end, the concert embraced the holiday mood with performances of Silent Night and Let It Snow. The performance ended with a powerful finale of anthems including One Sweet Day, I’ll Make Love To You, and End of the Road.

Overall Impressions

Although the evening's technical execution had some hiccups, and the sense at times was of stars paying homage to their younger selves, the net effect was transportive. The audience was temporarily taken back to the golden age of R&B, going home sprinkled with glitter rather than frost.