If It Isn't Love

Before I forget to mention it, I gotta tell you that I went to the New Edition concert last Friday night. Those fellas gave a great concert! It was arguably the best I've ever attended. However, there were a couple things that could have made the evening better.

First, when we initially decided to buy tickets, they were advertising the New Edition concert with Jodeci. More than worth the price of admission. The day we bought the tickets, however, it was changed to K-Ci and JoJo.

We thought we were buying front-row seats, and, in fact, we did. What we didn't know, though, was that they were going to put several fold-away seats between us and the stage. I'm not sure how you got to sit there. I'm guessing those were radio contest winners and VIP's such as Derrick Coleman, who ended up sitting right in front of us.

Now, when K-Ci and JoJo came on stage, my first thought was that they found two little kids to put on pinstriped suits and pretend to be K-Ci and JoJo. It took me a minute to realize that the two little guys were, in fact, actually K-Ci and JoJo. Not everyone had filtered into the Fox Theatre yet, so they were pleading with those of us who were in our seats to stand up and get into it. We felt bad for them (most people were not getting up), so we stood up and danced and clapped along with them. Just so you know, JoJo's voice is pretty much the same. K-Ci struggled a little, but I was pleasantly surprised. I'd heard that he was so cracked out his voice sounded like a down-and-out Eddie King, Jr. in The Five Heartbeats.

Is there a heart in the house tonight?...

Then K-Ci started acting a flat-out clown, including a stint where he rode the shoulders of a large guy, who appeared to be a bodyguard, into the audience. And I've never seen anyone so fascinated with their own pelvis. I guess when you're high you have to keep checking to make sure it's still there.

So, then there was a long, long, lonnnng (and I do mean lonnnng) intermission. The crowd definitely filled in for New Edition. A whole lot of people showed up during intermission.

Including Derrick Coleman, who bulldozed his way down our row, shoved me backward, and stole the bag of New Edition concert stuff I had purchased. I had to chase that fool down and snatch my bag away. And then I told him, "Listen here, DC! I don't want any trouble. But if you try taking my stuff again, you and I are gonna have to come to blows!"

Okay, that's not what really went down. He actually did make his way down our row (I don't think he knew he was in the chairs between us and the stage. Anyway, the row was pretty narrow, so as he passed in front of me (and he did politely say "excuse me"), I was forced to lean way back so he could pass. I guess his foot got caught on my bag, which was on the floor in front of me, and he was dragging it down the row as he walked. I did have to chase him down and unhook my bag from his foot, but, in actuality, he was pretty oblivious to having dragged it.

But the real story is not very exciting, so I'll stick to what I first told you from now on. Sorry, DC. It's not personal. It's all about dramatic effect.

When New Edition came out, they gave me my money's worth. They sang all the old hits, even Candy Girl and Popcorn Love, and performed all the old dance routines that went along with them. They did this with an energy that near-40-year-old men (and, 40+ in Johnny Gill's case) do not normally possess. In fact, as they performed, I almost forgot that they had aged at all.

And, I gotta say, I felt I had already gotten my money's worth about 4 songs in, when they performed I'm Still In Love With You. That, you might be surprised to know, is one of my all-time favorite New Edition songs. The exchange of lyrics between Ralph and Ricky was as perfect onstage as it is on the recorded track.

If you thought they would only perform New Edition songs, you would have been mistaken. Ricky, Mike, and Ronnie brought the house down with renditions of Do Me and Poison. Johnny did his My, My, My and Rub You the Right Way. And Ralph did Sensitivity and a wonderful rendition of Do What I Gotta Do. It was great to see all five guys remain on stage the entire time, with Ricky, Mike, and Ronnie lending background vocals to Ralph and Johnny's solo efforts and Ralph and Johnny joining background vocals during the BBD hits. That was wonderful to see.

Before I forget, I have to single out Ronnie. Back in the day, I always thought he was the best dancer in the group. Last Friday, he proved he still is. He can definitely dance! I love to watch him. Especially on If It Isn't Love.

Ya love her?...WHAT?

Their fans are obviously die-hard. The entire theatre sang along to almost every song. I gotta think that's both irritating and endearing to them. Some of us even did some of the dance routines, most notably on If It Isn't Love and With You All the Way.

Even DC stood up the entire time and sang along. I had no idea he was such a fan. Afterward, he and I had a discussion about teaching the younger generation about NE, since he had brought what I assume were his two sons (but I could be mistaken) to the concert. I had the notion to take my 8-year-old daughter, since she likes New Edition too. But then we decided to get front-row seats, and I wasn't going to pay $90 for another ticket (DC has it like that...I don't). Besides, they didn't even perform Delicious, which is her favorite NE song.

In all, though, I would definitely recommend that if a New Edition concert comes to your town you should catch it.

Ha! Get it? Like the Catch the Wave promotion they once did for Coca-Cola back in the day! (Catch it, catch it, whew!) What, you don't remember that? Hmmph! And you call yourselves New Edition fans.

-e