Tuesday, May 19, 1998
Boyz II Men back on stage with smooth, soulful sound
MUSIC: After four-year hiatus, group performs old, new hits at
Forum
By Teron Hide
Daily Bruin Contributor
Sounding as if an earthquake had just struck Inglewood, the
Great Western Forum was hoppin’ and boppin’ Sunday night, as fans
flocked to hear the soulful performances of Uncle Sam, Mya,
Destiny’s Child, Next and, most importantly, Boyz II Men.
Being away for the past four years, Boyz II Men has seen their
fan support dwindle. Even their latest release, "Evolution," did
not attain their usual chart-topping success. Looking into the
audience at the concert, many empty seats were highly visible. But
even with these difficulties, Boyz II Men can still crank out a
solid, worthwhile concert.
Following the whineful croons of Uncle Sam and the liquid-y Mya,
the four-woman group of Destiny’s Child strutted its stuff and took
to the mic. Wearing tight, zebra-skin leather outfits, the women
soared through a medley of their self-titled album.
After leaving the audience reeling from a barrage of their
songs, the group reappeared in white-sequined, glittered dresses.
With soothing and dreamy voices, the women whipped off the lower
part of their dresses (much to the delight of the male crowd) and
began to belt out their annoyingly addictive single, "No, No, No."
As the bass continually pounded the hearts and heads of the
audience, the female quartet beamed as they ran through the remixed
song. But they were just a prelude to the hard-hitting soul to
follow.
Walking on the stage 15 minutes later, R.T., Tweet and T-Low hit
the stage to a deafening roar by the audience. Better known as
Next, the three men wasted no time struttin’ and groovin’ to their
current hit single, "Too Close." Wooing the women in their blue
velvet shirts and blue leather pants, Next never missed a beat.
By the second song, though, the teenage girls had already began
to scream as the men took off their shirts to highlight their six
packs and chiseled chests. Prancing around in their baggy pants,
Tweet and R.T., engaged in wildly amusing acts ranging from
sticking their hands down their pants to the incessant thrusting of
the hips. Finishing their act with the delicious "Butta Love," Next
continued to pump up the crowd with high steps and even heavier
bass. Riding the wave of enthusiasm all the way to the end, which
included some naughty spanking by the back-up dancers, Next did an
excellent job of warming up the crowd with its tracks of sweet
lovin’.
Finally, though, at a little past 8:45, the main attraction took
to the stage. Backed by a band with a full complement of
instruments, Boyz II Men exploded onto the scene among crackling
with fireworks and blazing flames. Opening with their debut single
"Motown Philly," the East Coast quartet was met with loud, raucous
and crazed applause from the audience.
Despite the fact that Boyz II Men began its career and the
concert with an up-tempo song, it recognized that the blushingly
sappy love songs make up the heart and soul of its recordings.
Whether it’s about the end of a relationship, apologizing for one’s
mistakes or just making up to the lady, these four brought a
capella love songs to the forefront of commercial music.
For the first time ever in concert, the group actually sang some
of their lesser known songs, such as "Can You Stand the Rain," much
to the delight of the crowd. Sitting around a see-through
plexiglass piano, Boyz II Men unexpectedly delivered a remake of
Dru Hill’s "We’re Not Making Love No More."
Drawing from material on their albums, "CooleyHighHarmony," "II"
and "Evolution," Boyz II Men treated the fans to a trip down memory
lane. Running through songs such as the inspiring "Down On Bended
Knee" to the touching "It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye," Boyz II Men
was met with roars of continuous approval. Getting out of their
seats and swaying from side-to-side in the aisles, waves of people
cheerfully mouthed the words to each of the renowned songs.
The biggest surprise of the night was the solo by the deep-bass
vocals of Michael McCary. Having an injured back, he made one of
his few performances standing upright. Not one to disappoint,
Michael’s throaty tunes showcased his abilities as an individual
artist, and reminded folks that Barry White and Isaac Hayes were
not the only artists that could make a night hot and heavy.
In typical Boyz II Men fashion, they ended the show on a
romantic note. With style and grace, they gave a silky rendition of
their greatest slow jam, "I’ll Make Love To You." As the crowd
looked on adoringly, the group began to pass out long-stemmed roses
to the awaiting mob of women standing directly beneath them.
Despite not appearing for an encore, Boyz II Men wooed the crowd
with their heart-wrenching songs and smooth voices. It was a
fulfilling night of soul for even the most hardened R&B addict.
It left fans swooning for more.
GENEVIEVE LIANG/Daily Bruin
Next played at the Forum with Boyz II Men.