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Home > Atlanta Music Scene > Archives > 2007 > November > 18
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Bobby Brown show a bit stiff
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What was suppose to be grown and sexy seemed more like loud and wrong. Without question, Atlanta was ready for the New Jack Swing tour on Friday at the Civic Center that promised old-school jams by Guy, After 7, K-Ci & JoJo and Bobby Brown.
But while half the show made fans sing along and/or jump from their seats to dance, the other half reminded many that we’re getting older and when it’s gone, it’s gone.
It was a good, even if slow, start as After 7 warmed up the crowd with some singable love songs. The group obviously put forth some effort — with coordinated suits and moves.
K-Ci & JoJo, on the other hand, seemed like they just rolled onto the stage. For the record, K-Ci kept on most of his clothes, but the duo’s show was definitely bare bones. They went through songs like “Life” and “If You Think You’re Lonely Now” but the weakened voices and lack of showmanship made the performance seem like an afterthought. And we still can’t figure out why K-Ci jumped on the shoulders of a burly, security-type just to “interact” with fans.
Then what the audience thought was the finale hobbled onto the stage … Bobby Brown. The crowd went crazy with excitement, especially because many speculated he might not show at all. We can appreciate his working through the pain of an injured ankle, but his performance was underwhelming (as one fan noted, it seemed like a rehearsal). Beyond humping the stage and air, he couldn’t dance, and he shoved “new” songs down our ears when what we really wanted was “Roni” and “Don’t Be Cruel.” We got a few grooves, but what happened to “My Prerogative”? A few friends popped in briefly: fellow New Edition member Ronnie DeVoe helped Bobby with his attire and mic, while Keith Sweat made a surprise cameo at the end of one song. And to close it out, he brought a little girl on stage to dance for us … why and shouldn’t she have been at home in bed?
After this many fans left thinking the show was over. But Guy, or rather, Aaron Hall of Guy, was the night’s closer — and surprisingly the night’s biggest hit. While Bobby did at least have a band on stage, Aaron had musicians, backup singers and light displays. Finally, someone seemed prepared to put on a show. Sure he had a few missteps, including racy “dancing” with a young woman from the audience (even Aaron commented that he was getting too old for those antics). But his voice was strong as he went through hits like “Let’s Chill” and “I Miss You,” which made many couples get up to dance in the aisles. Plus, he spent the majority of his show in the crowd (and not on a security guard’s shoulders). Thank goodness for sweet endings.
What did you think?
