🔗 Share this article Rhythm and Blues Christmas Concert Recap: A Emotional Trip Back to the 90s The second annual Rhythm and Blues Christmas Concert featured a roster of performers known for their Christmas records. Rather than centering on seasonal songs, the night served as a sentimental excuse for a voyage back to the sincere and emotional sound of 90s R&B. Opening Performances: Timeless Feelings Dru Hill delivered iconic R&B in matching outfits, with videos from the 2000s era playing behind them. Next, a set of primarily ballads from the artist Joe prepared the audience for the main artists. The Powerful Set The beginning of the song Last Last cleverly segued into He Wasn’t Man Enough, connecting Braxton's musical legacy. At first, her performance with a backing band seemed rooted in the time period of her peak fame. Then, nine songs into her performance, she spoke about her struggle with lupus and being told she might never sing live again. Singing Breathe Again in a solitary beam of light, she gave a profoundly heartfelt performance. “As long as I live, I will never forget tonight,” she declared earnestly. Power chords then catapulted the crowd into Long As I Live, solidifying her grip over the audience's hearts. She encored with an flawless, though somewhat shortened, rendition of her iconic hit, Un-break My Heart. Boyz II Men: Vocal Virtuosos Appearing on stage in strikingly matching all-white suits, Boyz II Men opened with Motownphilly. They moved through classics like Water Runs Dry and On Bended Knee, demonstrating breathtaking three-way vocals that were both precise and responsive to their accompaniment. Their set featured covers of inspirations, including a memorable solo on Purple Rain, and tracks inspired by them, like Bruno Mars’s Locked Out of Heaven. A Dash of Christmas Spirit Towards the end, the evening embraced the Christmas theme with renditions of Silent Night and Let It Snow. The show concluded with a powerful finale of anthems including One Sweet Day, I’ll Make Love To You, and End of the Road. Final Impressions While the evening's production experienced some hiccups, and the feeling at points was of artists performing a tribute to their past selves, the net result was transportive. The crowd was temporarily transported to the golden age of R&B, leaving sprinkled with glitter rather than frost.