Just when fans were ready to write him off as a no-show, Bobby Brown stormed the stage, taking the lead on New Edition’s “Hit Me Off,” and sending fans into an uproar.
Brown, the most controversial member of the group, took fans by surprise when he entered the stage during the fourth song of New Edition’s Road to the 30th Anniversary tour at the Huntington Center Friday.
PHOTO GALLERY: New Edition takes stage at the Huntington Center
“Thank you for your prayers, for being there for my family,” said Brown, referring to the recent death of his ex-wife, Whitney Houston. “It’s been a long, hard road.”
The show opened with the quintet of Johnny Gill, Ricky Bell, Ralph Tresvant, Michael Bivins, and Ronnie DeVoe dressed in three-piece suits singing “Do Me!” and “If It Isn’t Love” and performing the same dance moves they were known for in the ‘80s. By the fourth song, Brown had made his grand entrance.
Despite a one hour delay, fans remained patient, anticipating the performance 30 years in the making. Comedian Henry Welch served as the opening act, delivering 30 minutes of laughs, while New Edition prepared to take the stage.
The concert took fans on a journey back to 1983, where it all began, with hits like “Jealous Girl,” “Popcorn Love,” “Candy Girl,” “Cool It Now,” and “Mr. Telephone Man,” performed by the original quintet that included Brown, Bell, Tresvant, Bivins, and DeVoe.
The show brought out fans of all races and ages, including Mayor Mike Bell, who sang along, screamed, and cheered, as the group, which recently reunited for the 30th anniversary of its first album “Candy Girl,” performed.
“It really feels good to be up here with all six members tonight,” Tresvant told the crowd of more than 2,000 people. “I know some of you thought Bobby Brown wouldn’t show up.”
In 1985, Brown left to embark on a successful solo career. The group continued with four members and eventually recruited Gill to record the 1988 album Heart Break, which became New Edition’s most commercially successful album up to that point.
The group played out its make-up-to-breakup relationship with a playful skit about whether Brown left the group voluntarily or was kicked out. In addition, they paid homage to their solo careers, allowing Brown, Gill, and Tresvant to sing songs from their solo albums, and a group performance by Bell, Bivins, and DeVoe, who formed Bell Biv DeVoe when New Edition went on hiatus in 1990.
Backed by a live band and DJ, the members combined for vocals as smooth as they were in the ‘80s peak. They danced in sync and looked like old friends back together again.
Contact RoNeisha Mullen at:
rmullen@theblade.com
or 419-724-6133.
First Published April 28, 2012, 3:15 a.m.
