Pic Playback: The Femme It Forward 90’s R&B Concert Series at The MGM National Harbor
“Oh, yes, it’s Ladies’ Night And the feeling’s right Oh, yes, it’s Ladies’ Night Oh, what a night”
Ladies night indeed is what it felt like at the MGM National Harbor on Sunday, March 13 as Live Nation Urban brought it’s Femme It Forward R&B concert series to the DMV. This show was one for the real lovers of music, as it was anchored by some of the most prominent voices of one of the greatest eras of music, 90’s R&B. Do you remember a time when Faith Evans, SWV & Mýa dominated the airwaves? We sure do, and this show felt like that entire decade, all rolled into one night.
Albeit this was a show packed full of nostalgia, the organizers of the concert saw fit to include a tinge of new, up and coming talent as well. Many of you may be familiar with Candiace Dillard Bassett from “The Real Housewives of Potomac”, but did you also know that she’s a musical artist as well? Making one of your debut performances in your own back yard can be an intimidating task for many a new artist, but Candiace definitely held her own as she performed cuts from her latest album “Deep Space“.
The moment she performed her debut single “Drive Back” was a pinnacle point in the set for us, because rising talent only get a couple of “firsts”, and to perform your very first single on a bill with the very industry veterans that more than likely were here inspiration, is a “chef’s kiss” moment. One major thing that we took note of was her stage presence, as it was likened to an artist that had been on the scene for a while, including clear vocals, crowd interaction and choreography, to help round out the total package appeal.
One of the DMV’s own was next to take the stage, and boy, did she take it by storm. Everyone remembers when Mýa initially burst onto the scene as a sassy, teen bound to dominate the World; fast forward 20+ years, and we now have a mature woman who is confident in every sense of the word, and that was no more evident than through her performing persona. From the minute she walked out onto the stage, you could tell that she was in total control…control of her voice, control of her band, control of her movements and control of the crowd as well.
Running through her back catalog of bops which included “Movin’ On“, “The Best of Me“, “Free“, “Like Whoa” and “Lady Marmalade“, she along with her two female background dancers danced a hole in the stage, reminding folks that she was a force to be reckoned with when it came to her craft. Not to have everyone thinking that she was just a smoke and mirrors artist hiding behind dancing, she slowed things down to show off her vocal ability by performing covers of a few classic songs “(Lay Your Head On My) Pillow” by Tony! Toni! Toné!, “Can We Talk” by Tevin Campbell, “(At Your Best) You Are Love” by Aaliyah and “Sweet Love” by Anita Baker. It was when she performed her debut single “It’s All About Me” that served as the biggest flex, as she brought out special guest Sisqó to recreate that memorable duet from the music video.
The ladies of SWV need no prior introduction as they have been mainstays in contemporary R&B for the past 30 years, and opening up their concert with the “Anything” Remix was the perfect tune to get the party started. For forty minutes, Taj, Lelee and Coko took us on a trip back in time to when girl groups were one of the biggest movements in popular music, and their number of hits gave credence to that fact. Fans sang along to every lyric of “You’re The One“, “You’re Always On My Mind“, “Right Here” and “I’m So Into You“.
Having a stage name like Sisters With Voices is something that may seem hard to live up to for the average person, but these three women are still blowing in 2022, rivaling how they sounded when they were in their early 20’s circa 1992. Every time that I’ve seen them perform live, they effortlessly nail it, blending their harmonies and staying pitch perfect, which is a clear sign of a true professional. Keeping with the theme of 90’s R&B, they even decided to put their own spin on Mary J. Blige’s “Be Happy” with Lelee taking the lead. Of course they couldn’t leave without singing their biggest hit to date, the fan favorite “Weak“. We’ve seen conversations online debating what is the biggest sing-a-long track of all time, and this song has to be one of the top contenders, because I really couldn’t even hear SWV’s voices as the screaming crowd overshadowed the mics. To be at a concert and hear this song live is just an EXPERIENCE.
After a full night of reminiscing of a time when things were simpler and down right better, Faith Evans was just what we needed to close it out for us. Right off the rip, her soulful draw on “I Remember” hit us right in the gut and had you making that ugly face as you vibed out and sang along with her. Seeming to display positive energy, she yelled out that “DC is her favorite city in the World…aside from Newark of course”, which is her hometown, so we’ll forgive her for that one.
Evans belted out other classics like “I Love You” ,”You Used to Love Me” and “Ain’t Nobody” in her angelic yet hearty soprano. Her rendition of “Soon as I Get Home” was an awe-inspiring ride that had hands in the air and cries of “C’mon Faith!” coming from as high up as the rafters. As a surprise to the audience, Lil’ Cease rocked the MGM for a tribute to the legendary Notorious B.I.G. Cease performed a medley of songs: “Player’s Anthem,” and Lil’ Kim‘s “Crush on You“.
After a quick outfit change, Faith returned to the stage to give a heartfelt tribute to D.C. native Chucky Thompson, as she performed “Soon As I Get Home“, which was her lead single that he produced for her back in 95. Helping to change the pace of the show up, she began to dig into some of her more up-tempo tracks, “You Get’s No Love” and the club banger “Love Like This“, where she invited some of her fans, affectionately known as “Faithfuls”, up on stage to dance and sing with her. It was the perfect night cap to a night full of music that we all love and cherish.
