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This second annual Rhythm and Blues Christmas Concert featured a lineup of performers renowned for their holiday albums. Rather than focusing on seasonal songs, the evening acted as a nostalgic reason for a voyage back to the sincere and emotional sound of 1990s R&B.

Opening Performances: Timeless Vibes

Dru Hill delivered classic R&B in coordinated outfits, with music videos from the 2000s era displaying behind them. Following this, a set of mostly slow jams from the artist Joe prepared the audience for the main acts.

Toni Braxton's Powerful Performance

The beginning of the song Last Last cleverly segued into He Wasn’t Man Enough, connecting Braxton's artistic heritage. At first, her show with a backing band appeared rooted in the era of her greatest success.

However, deep into her set, she spoke about her battles with lupus and being told she might never perform on stage again. Performing Breathe Again in a single spotlight, she delivered a profoundly emotional performance. “As long as I live, I will never forget tonight,” she declared sincerely.

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

The Group Boyz II Men: Harmony Masters

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, demonstrating awe-inspiring three-way vocals that were both precise and reactive to their accompaniment.

Their set featured covers of inspirations, including a standout solo on Purple Rain, and tracks influenced by them, like Bruno Mars’s Locked Out of Heaven.

A Touch of Christmas Spirit

Finally, the evening embraced the holiday mood with performances of Silent Night and Let It Snow. The show concluded with a powerful closing run of hits including One Sweet Day, I’ll Make Love To You, and End of the Road.

Final Impressions

Although the evening's production experienced some hiccups, and the sense at points was of stars paying homage to their younger selves, the net result was transportive. The audience was temporarily taken back to the peak era of R&B, leaving sprinkled with glitter rather than frost.