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Chart-topping act Boyz II Men carries torch to Schuster
DAYTON — The 1990s chart-topping vocal ensemble Boyz II Men set the standard by which all other so-called “boy bands” of the decade aspired.
Now marking 18 years in the music business, three of the original four members continue to carry the torch for heartfelt melodic balladry sung with soul and style.
That torch blazed hot Saturday night, Nov. 29, at the Schuster Center as the trio performed a retrospective of its memorable catalogue of hits as well as a selection of classic Motown covers featured on its latest album, “Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA.”
Dressed in three-piece suits, Shawn Stockman, Nathan Morris and Wanya Morris (related only through music) took to a stage devoid of extraneous trappings. Three stools (barely touched), three microphone stands (rarely used) and a small riser (holding water and three bouquets of roses) were the only accessories.
This show’s special effects came in the form of the group’s soaring vocals, spine-tingling harmonies and synchronized dance movements.
With backup accompaniment from a programmed tape loop, rather than a live band, the hit-filled trip down memory lane might have begun to feel like a choreographed karaoke act, if not for the singers’ vocal originality and dexterity — and a brief technical glitch.
About half-way through the 90-minute show, as the trio concluded a high-energy, call-and-response-heavy rendition of Edwin Starr’s “War,” the anticipated segue into the next song faltered when the computerized musical backup stopped.
Calls to “sing a cappella” rang out from the audience, and after a quick on-stage conference, the trio responded with a soulful “Silent Night,” in three-part harmony.
“That’s the difference between us and other groups,” Stockman said, before continuing the show as planned.
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