New Edition, Boyz II Men, Toni Braxton nonstop blast at Milwaukee show

New Edition’s March 21 concert at a packed Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee made a strong case for their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The three-hour show featured nonstop performances from New Edition, its spinoff acts, Boyz II Men, and Toni Braxton.
Boyz II Men and Toni Braxton also delivered impressive performances, highlighting their own legacies in R&B.

Can we just go ahead and induct New Edition into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

Last month the Boston-born sextet was among the 17 artists shortlisted for induction in this year’s Rock Hall class, with the final inductees to be revealed next month.

But at a packed Fiserv Forum March 21 – the group’s first Milwaukee concert in 14 years – New Edition made the indisputable case that they need to be immortalized in the Rock Hall, and it needs to happen right now.

The undeniably exhilarating, combined chemistry of Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Bobby Brown, Ronnie DeVoe, Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant – all core members in the fold no later than 1987 – inspired influential R&B successors (including Boyz II Men and Toni Braxton, on the bill for the ongoing “New Edition Way” tour) and set the smooth-voiced, hip-hop-embracing, dance-heavy boy band template that still resonates in groups like K-pop superstars BTS.

Seeing these six self-proclaimed, rightly-classified “kings” together, still operating at the highest level, made this show special. But that just barely scratched the surface of what this night would offer. It was a breathtaking, nonstop three-hour epic, with New Edition and its spinoff acts (including Bell Biv Devoe, Brown, Gill and Tresvant), and Boyz II Men and Braxton, moving in and out on the expansive stage, performing a combined 40 songs, in lieu of the typical tedium-inducing opener-pause-opener-pause-headliner setup.

Officially there were nine New Edition-led songs that made the setlist, including a brand new one, “We Going Out Tonight,” to kick off the evening and quickly establish that New Edition was no laurel-resting legacy act. Fans may have felt some initial disappointment that Brown wasn’t always with the group, taking a break from the stage for “If It Isn’t Love,” “You’re Not My Kind of Girl” and “Can You Stand The Rain,” but there was more than enough charisma to compensate, from intricate choreography for the former, to Gill’s showstopping vocal finesse for the finale of the latter. And absence does make the heart grow fonder, so when Brown did take the stage to lead the way for “Hit It Off,” the crowd’s exuberance reached new heights.

All six members were together when it mattered most – for a three-song-run late in the show of early hits “Mr. Telephone Man,” “Candy Girl” and “Cool It Now” – hitting their marks and sporting the best fits of the night from a show with countless wardrobe changes – long black sequined jackets; all white sneakers, shirt and pants; and sharp bright red fedoras with feathers on the side. And while Brown was pretty blunt in Milwaukee that he’s past his prime choreography days – “If you all want to see me dance, Google me,” he hilariously said at one point – for the most part he hit his marks during this pivotal stretch.

Bobby Brown, Bell Biv Devoe, Ralph Tresvant, Johnny Gill perform their own hits

In a show filled with sharp dancers, lasers, pyro and relentless music, Brown also showed he could command the stage without any of that for a riveting rendition alone on stage for “Roni.” But the New Edition guys did have his back for the night’s climactic one-two punch of Brown’s “Every Little Step” and “My Prerogative,” with Brown surprisingly becoming suddenly overwhelmed with emotion at the end of the latter. (He quickly cried out “I miss you,” but I wasn’t able to discern who he was addressing. Of course Brown has had a great share of loss in his life.)

After some assuring arm pats and hugs from his fellow men in New Edition, plus the trio of Nathan Morris, Wanyá Morris and Shawn Stockman from Boyz II Men, Brown with the other gentlemen on stage was able to repay the favor adding hype and flair backing Bell, Bivins and Devoe for the night’s snappy finish “Poison.” It was one of three songs Bell Biv Devoe performed at Fiserv Forum – including the unapologetically provocative “Do Me!” and “When Will I See You Smile,” which turned out to have the heartiest singalong of the trio.

Of the New Edition spinoff performances, Ralph Tresvant had the strongest swagger, and Gill the most impressive pipes. Tresvant was shirtless underneath an unbuttoned sports jacket, a gold medallion on his chest for “Do What I Gotta Do” (the performance enriched by four radiant voices with backing vocals from Boyz II Men), and wore a see-through silk shirt for “Sensitivity,” making it clear that, at 57, he’s remains a gym rat. The 59-year-old Gill also flaunted his physique with the shirtless under the jacket thing (a leather one for him) for “My Body” and “My My My,” but it was his voice that was most impressive, especially for the latter, with Gill offering dynamite vocal runs as he walked through the pit, white rose in hand, getting so excited for the big finish that he accidentally broke the rose at the end.

Boyz II Men bring impeccable vocals to Milwaukee

Gill certainly offered some of the show’s most vibrant vocals, amongst some very esteemed company. But in terms of consistent wow moments, Boyz II Men, across the nine songs they lead, may have been the best of the night, and that was atop some slick cardio workouts for some highly choreographed performances for “Please Don’t Go” and “Uhh Ahh.” After those two songs, as they appropriately took some seats for “4 Seasons of Loneliness,” Wanyá Morris’ bald head was doused in sweat. Yet despite the clear exertion – and some clear in-ear monitor issues that saw the men rip their pieces out – their vocals were stunning. And later in the show, Wanyá Morris and Stockman did the impossible and topped themselves, with the former offering head-spinning, belt to the heavens bravado, and the latter evoking the emotional weight of the music, singing beautifully and dropping down to his knees for “On Bended Knee.”

Toni Braxton defies doctors’ expectations with flashy performance

For those keeping count, both New Edition and Boyz II Men led the show for nine songs each, and Braxton did the same. Outnumbered by the groups, and overpowered in terms of vocals, Braxton instead delivered the most complex, dance-heavy performances of the night, keeping pace with up to 14 dancers for her impressive introduction, “He Wasn’t Man Enough.” She didn’t always need all that dancing to make a big statement – a disgusted flash of her middle finger for the spiteful “Just Be a Man About It” was just as impactful, as was her bold angel-wings-adorned outfit for her big finish “Un-Break My Heart.” And after sharing how doctors’ suggested she could never perform again after being diagnosed with Lupus, Braxton showed she defied the odds with a breathless performance of “Breathe Again,” in honor of her late sister Traci and the brother of a close friend who died earlier that day.

If there’s justice, New Edition will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year – but Boyz II Men and Braxton showed in Milwaukee they also deserve that honor.

Three takeaways from New Edition’s Milwaukee concert

Lines outside Fiserv Forum were surprisingly backed up just as the show was supposed to begin at 8 p.m., but the vast majority of seats in the full arena were taken by the time the show actually started at 8:25 p.m.
No musicians were on stage during the show, but the acts weren’t performing to backing tracks, with a sharp live band playing every song.
Funny conversation overheard in the packed concourse right after the show. Woman: “Officer, you’re going to have to carry me!” Officer: “Not in this crowd!”