REVIEW: Boys II Men, En Vogue take fans back to the ’90s

CEDAR RAPIDS - What were those incredible harmonies coming from the Cedar Riverbank on Wednesday night, you ask?

Oh, you know, Boyz II Men were just in town having a little concert and showing off the fact that after 25 years, one of the top performing groups of the 1990s still has it.

The near sellout crowd at McGrath Amphitheatre came expecting to hear emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. And that's exactly what they got.

Members of the crowd were on their feet even before Boyz II Men - baritone Nathan Morris and tenors Wanya Morris and Shawn Stockman - took the stage to 'MotownPhilly,” the hit that propelled them to stardom back in 1991.

The concert that followed, although short and sweet, was the kind that had you singing along to every word. The kind that had you thinking about where you were and what you were doing when their songs came out - like creating your own hip-hop routine in a friend's basement, or slow dancing with your crush at your high school prom.

The boys from Philly, excited to be in Cedar Rapids - minus the noticeably annoying bugs swarming the stage - encouraged the crowd to sing along 'as loud as they could” as they belted out all of their chart-topping songs, including 'It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday,” 'On Bended Knee,” 'A Song for Mama,” 'Water Runs Dry,” '4 Seasons of Loneliness” and 'End of the Road,” which fittingly ended the evening.

Boyz II Men sang a cappella. They showed off the fact that they still had the dance moves. They mixed things up and rocked out a little Lenny Kravitz with 'Are You Gonna Go My Way” and 'American Woman,” the Beatles 'Come Together” and 'Open Arms” by Journey to show off their vocal and genre ranges. They even tossed roses to weak-kneed female fans in the first few rows - a very suave and oh-so-Boyz-II-Men-move - while singing 'I'll Make Love to You.”

En Vogue also was part of the harmony fest, and many in the crowd clearly were just as excited to see one of the defining female groups of the '90s take the stage.

The dynamic trio - original members Cindy Herron-Braggs and Terry Ellis and long-standing member Rhona Bennett - got the night started with the right energy as they performed their greatest hits, including 'Free Your Mind,” 'Don't Let Go” and 'Hold On.” They even tossed in a rendition of 'What a Man” (minus Salt n Pepa) that was a personal favorite.

What I can tell you is, girlfriends still got it, and they look good. They performed for more than an hour and their choreography was spot on. As my friend said, 'It's like they just emerged from a time capsule and haven't aged one bit.” They even shared a song, 'Deja Vu,” off their new album, to be released in a few months. After last night's performance, fans are likely to check that out.

One thing that came across loud and clear from both groups was their gratitude. Both Boyz II Men and En Vogue took multiple opportunities to genuinely thank their fans, acknowledging that they are 'humbled by their support over the last 25 years.”

Likewise, I think the Cedar Rapids crowd was thankful for the chance to sing along with two groups of amazingly talented performers and vocalists who certainly made an impact on a chapter of their lives.