Aug. 28-SCHENECTADY, N.Y. - Vocal group Boyz II Men brought its unique brand of R&B entertainment to the Capital Region over the weekend, performing a mix of the hits and some surprising covers.
The Philadelphia-based band paid a Saturday night visit to Proctors in Schenectady, where fans filled the theater seats to see Boyz II Men live in concert.
The show started with a short opening set by Omar Wilson, a solo singer from Connecticut who goes by the nickname "The Black Sinatra." Expressing his gratitude for being invited to tour with the legendary Boyz II Men, Wilson sang a few original tunes for the crowd before ending with James Brown tune "It's a Man's Man's Man's World."
Shortly after, Boyz II Men members Nathan Morris, Shawn Stockman and Wanyá Morris took the spotlight wearing all-white outfits and singing in their signature soulful acapella style.
The set kicked off with 1991 single "Motownphilly" from their debut album Cooleyhighharmony, which won the group its first Grammy award 30 years ago.
Since then, Boyz II Men has become the best-selling R&B group of all time, selling over 64 million albums.
Boyz II Men is best known for emotional ballads such as "On Bended Knee," "4 Seasons of Loneliness" and "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday," which all made the setlist.
During the romantic mega-hit "I'll Make Love to You," the three singers each handed out long-stemmed red roses to ladies in the audience, before asking in return that they help sing Mariah Carey's part on "One Sweet Day."
Boyz II Men also brought in an unexpected rock element, performing covers of Eric Clapton, Journey and The Beatles.
Stockman explained that the group enjoys performing songs that have influenced them, no matter what genre. "We've grown to have this philosophy, it's very simple," he said. "If the music is good, then the music is good."
In talking to the crowd, the band shared that Stockman learned to play guitar and Nathan Morris learned to play bass while creating Boyz II Men's 14th studio album Collide, released in 2014.
"It is a testament that you can teach a genius new tricks," Wanyá Morris said of his bandmates, thanking them for helping to expand the musical horizons of Boyz II Men.
The group also demonstrates musical integrity by delivering raw, authentic vocals - sans autotune. "You will not hear any electronics on our vocals," Stockman promised early in the show.
While the industry has changed tremendously over the past few decades, Boyz II Men has not. "I'm so happy that there are so many like-minded individuals like us that still enjoy the purity of good music," Stockman continued.
The group later gave a sincere thank you to the fans gathered at the Schenectady venue. "Thank you," Stockman said, "for allowing us to live out our dreams for more than 30 years and counting."
Boyz II Men closed the Proctors set with none other than the chart-topping 1992 single "End of the Road."
Though it has indeed been 30 years since Boyz II Men first found its fame, the group's music - whether its R&B classics or rock 'n' roll covers - still resonates strongly with audiences, and the band's heartfelt approach to performing makes a live show like Saturday's a truly special experience.
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