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When people couldn\u2019t find the words to express how they felt, they played Boyz II Men.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For the better part of 30 years, this legendary trio of harmonizers has had its love ballads on lock, producing some of the most iconic tracks in R&B, songs people get married<\/em> to. So it\u2019s no wonder the crowd was full of heavy-lidded lovers on opening night, as Boyz II Men kicked off its four-night engagement at The Chelsea.\u00a0<\/p>\n After piloting a residency at The Mirage for nearly eight years, the trio wasted little time adjusting to their new surroundings. The soft spoken and incredibly disarming Shawn Stockman took point on the microphone, steering the night\u2019s banter, while Wany\u00e1 Morris gave us all the snake hipped dancing we could handle. The energy of these men could tip the shingles off a roof. And perhaps it had something to do with their friends in the stands. Vegas-bred comedian Jo Koy and R&B hitmaker Babyface, who wrote many of Boyz II Men\u2019s jams, including \u201cEnd of the Road,\u201d were both in attendance. Stockman expressed extra gratitude to the latter star, saying \u201cWe would not be Boyz II Men if not for that man.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Signature songs like \u201cWater Runs Dry\u201d and \u201cOn Bended Knee\u201d blew a few dozen minds, as people swayed to the harmonies, cradling their chests and visibly feeling these lyrics in their bones. Morris sank to his own knees at one point, eyes screwed shut, as though reliving the recording for the first time. The boys assumed such a visceral swagger to them, especially Nathan Morris and Stockman, who took his earpiece out for \u201cHey Lover,\u201d dazzling the women in the front row with his candied vocals. But the full weight of those harmonies didn\u2019t fully hit until \u201c4 Seasons of Loneliness,\u201d when they pulled up stools and sang together in close proximity.\u00a0<\/p>\n The night took another pleasantly surprising turn when Stockman and Nathan grabbed their guitars, backing Wany\u00e1 on a series of covers that evolved into a full-blooded rock show. Never did we expect to hear Boyz II Men shredding to Lenny Kravitz\u2019s \u201cAmerican Woman\u201d or The Beatles\u2019 \u201cCome Together\u201d but it happened. And boy, were we happy it did.\u00a0<\/p>\n Toward the end, romance was visibly in the air, and in the trio\u2019s hands as they suavely passed out roses for \u201cI\u2019ll Make Love to You.\u201d Talk about knowing their audience.\u00a0<\/p>\n Love could be seen and felt on so many different levels here. Fans in the crowd engaged with total strangers, elated by their favorite songs and unafraid to pass the excitement along. There were certainly some <\/em>cell phones in sight, but for the most part, people were truly living in the moment. And that\u2019s clearly what Boyz II Men enjoyed seeing.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a new era for us in Las Vegas,\u201d Stockman told the crowd. \u201cYou guys pretty much let us know that beautiful people like yourselves will fill up rooms like this. Hopefully, we\u2019ll be back again and again and again. We truly love Las Vegas.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Boyz II Men<\/strong> August 30-31, $119-$365+, the Chelsea, ticketmaster.com<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n