Photo credit courtesy of Jason Koerner
On Thursday, July 6th, The Theater at MGM in Oxon Hill, MD, was graced with the return of Boyz II Men, widely regarded as the greatest R&B vocal group ever. The group is now a trio compromised of members Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris, and Shawn Stockmen. Dressed in a suave all-white attire, the group kicked off the show with an instrumentation tease of "Thank You" before kicking the party off with "Motownphilly."
It was an electrifying moment as the crowd couldn't help but rise to their feet, caught up in the energy and excitement. And as they followed up with "On Bended Knee," the intensity in the room grew. The audience erupted into thunderous applause during Stockman and Morris's top-notch crooning, showcasing their incredible tenor voices. The sheer talent and showmanship earned them huge ovations throughout the night.
The trio performed songs from their first three albums during the show. In the first forty-five minutes, they sang "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye Yesterday," "Please Don't Go," and a fiery remix of "Uhh Ahh." Following a heartfelt performance of "4 Seasons of Loneliness", Boyz II Men showcased their versatility by performing an array of covers. During the cover portion of the show, Wanya showed out vocally, while Shawn played lead guitar and Nate played bass.
BIIM skillfully tackled Sam Cooke's iconic "A Change is Gonna Come" before bringing their unique spin to hits like Lenny Kravitz's hits "Are You Gonna Go My Way" and "American Woman." Furthermore, their soulful rendition of the Beatles' classic "Come Together" hit a little differently when we look at the country's state. Other covers included Shawn taking center stage on "Wonderful Tonight" and "Open Arms."
As the night began to wind down, it was time to return to the hits. The group closed the show out with back-to-back smashes in the form of "I'll Make Love To You," "One Sweet Day," and their signature song, "End of The Road," to the delight of the audience.
Although I've seen the group before, I often hope they'll delve more into their catalog during live performances. With 60 million albums sold throughout their career, I would appreciate hearing some of their later hits, such as "More Than You'll Ever Know," "Relax Your Mind," and "Thank You In Advance," included in the setlist.
Nevertheless, Boyz II Men show no signs of slowing down after thirty-three years in the music industry.
Final Grade: A