BOYZ II MEN - LIVE AT TRIPOD
I'm not sure I can quite adequately explain the level of my excitement when it came to seeing Boyz II Men perform live. I've been a fan of their music for god knows how long, so in my mind, these guys are living legends. While the quality of their work has had its ups and downs over the years, my interest in the band has never dwindled.
I'd never been to Tripod before (or The Pod, as it was known years ago), but it was much larger than I'd imagined it. We arrived a wee bit late, but as we were standing, it was easy enough to squeeze in. We made it just in time for the warm up act, Laura Izibor (who hails from right here in Dublin!). With just herself at a keyboard and accompanied by a guitarist, she made her way through some beautiful songs, including her big hit "From My Heart To Yours". I loved her and her interaction with the crowd was fantastic!
When the Boyz finally made their way out on stage, I was a little bit disappointed at how there was no live band to accompany them. I had pictured a full funky big band behind them as they sang, so simply having a backing track supply the music was a let down. Still, I have to admit to being a little bit star struck. I've been to SO many concerts over the years, but this is a band I never thought I'd see perform live in Ireland (almost as if Ireland was too insignificant to factor into their schedule). Even though there was just the three of them on stage, I felt like it was too small a platform for them! They arrived all in their sharp dapper suits (clearly seen above), which they wore for the entire performance. The heat must have been immense!
At times I almost doubted if they were singing live, because their vocals were simply so spot on throughout the night. Just like in their videos, they performed many of their songs to synchronised dance movements (eerily reminiscent of the ones performed by groups from Motown's hey-day!). I was pleased to see some interaction with the crowd (very few American artists seem capable of it). They came across very personable and amiable and there was a lovely sense of comradery between them (which I figured would be tried and tested after so many years performing together!!).
With so many albums and songs to choose from, there was never going to be enough time to satisfy everyone, but they managed to give the crowd what they wanted and performed their biggest hits from over the years. Quite surprisingly, they didn't shy away from their earlier work and did quite a few tracks from their first and second album (granted, their most popular works to date). I was slightly miffed that they all but neglected their middle albums "Evolution" and "Nathan | Michael | Shawn | Wanya", instead opting for tracks from their Japanese-only album "The Remedy". But thats just me being a mite picky I suppose!
I did find it a little unusual that not a mention was made of the fellow retired band mate, Michael McCary, but I guess that they've just moved on at this stage.
The one blemish on an otherwise stellar evening was the pack of rowdy so-and-sos standing on front of me, who insisted on making a spectacle of themselves during the performance. But all in all, it was a very enjoyable night I wont soon forget!
