New Edition: The Culture Tour with Charlie Wilson & Jodeci

Disclaimer: I did not see this show live.

However, enough clips are on YouTube that I was able to view most ,if not all ,of the show.

With that being said, before I go into why I watched this concert I just wanna give a shout out to the people who recorded the whole freakin concert on their phones. 😳

I wouldn’t do it because there are professionals who actually get paid to record the show plus if I’m paying all that money for a daggone ticket, bunk all that, I wanna actually WATCH the show.

And I HEARD the tickets were upwards of $150, 😳and my bad, that’s expensive for a show that doesn’t have a new album release attached to it. 🤷🏻‍♀️#ISWISAIIWII

So thanks complete stranger for recording it, because I wouldn’t have seen it otherwise.

Anyhow, anywho, how’s it goin;what it do?

I have seen New Edition live before.

Twice.

Mind you, the first time I saw them I believe Al B.Sure and possibly 🥴 Karyn White opened for them at the Spectrum in Philadelphia in 1988.

The second time, I believe it was:

New Edition

Levert

Bobby Brown

But it was over thirty-four years ago, so I could be mistaken about the line up order, but rest assured, I saw them twice.

I’ve never seen Jodeci perform live anywhere.

Same with Charlie Wilson.

But for the record, (pun if you want to) I was a little too young to see The Gap Band in their heyday.

And the closest I have ever been to seeing Jodeci live was on MTV unplugged. But from any and all clips of them singing live I was able to find on YouTube after that….

…apparently 🤦🏻‍♀️ I wasn’t missing much.

I did see those infamous clips of both K-Ci and JoJo passing out on stage either drunk or high or both. After that horrible display, I just stopped watching anything Jodeci did live for a long time. It is depressing to watch natural talent circle the drain of addiction.

Sidebar:

We ALL know K-Ci & Mary J. Blige had/has substance abuse issues, and from HIS smaller than slight stature, I just naturally assumed they were smoking crack.

🤷🏻‍♀️ What? Y’all didn’t?

🙄Yes, y’all did ; stop lyin to y’all selves.

And I dunno how true this is and it makes me physically ill thinking about it, but I also heard these bammas (K-Ci & JoJo) were actually using meth 😱. Not that crack is better than meth but damn y’all went full cracker crumbs with it. Really??? It’s a wonder y’all organs haven’t shut down completely.

Idiots. 🙄😡

My bad, y’all back to the concert clips.

Again, I didn’t see much of Charlie perform but that’s probably due to the fact there wasn’t much footage posted at the time I was writing this. But, I can always go back later and write an update. 😁

For Jodeci’s set, I closed my eyes.

For whatever reason, I hear better with my eyes closed 🤣. That and it’s difficult to watch sweaty, leather clad insects make stank faces while screeching into microphones.

All that to say, it was so painful to watch, I had to stop. And if they weren’t obligated by contractual agreement, I’d suggest Jodeci stop the tour as well.

My bad, I Love y’all soooo much, I really, do but it’s over for y’all unless y’all wanna Dalvin & Devante to remix the “this is your brain on drugs” commercials. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Okay, I think I’m done. 🤣

NEW EDITION!!!

Awwww, there’s a long, long history of family gatherings where we would discuss New Edition performances, videos, & documentaries and in the past, I have made some rather off color comments about each member of the group at different times in their careers.

#facts 💯

So this may be decades late, but I want to apologize for everything disparaging I have ever said about Ronnie DeVoe.

Ronnie seems to be the glue that held New Edition together especially during the touring seasons.

He also seems to keep them all in step 😉with the choreography which is no small feat with out of shape 50 + year olds.

🤷🏻‍♀️ #ISWISAIIWII

Plus Ronnie is SMART.

Yes initially, I clowned him for getting his real estate license and what not but as my knees sound like bubble wrap from just getting up in the morning…I now see why he did what he did.

Now for the rest of em & the show itself:

* I understand it’s hard to sing and dance at the same time without sounding out of breath.

* But again, I’M not paying over $100 to watch them lip sync no matter how good the choreography USED to be.

* Whoever came up with their wardrobe should be taken out back and shot. Because Bobby & Johnny shop at Men’s Warehouse now and putting them in green suits with red lining was a set up. They looked like dancing olives 🫒.

* When they changed into the red suits 🤦🏻‍♀️🤣 I was waiting for Bobby to breakthrough a faux brick 🧱 wall and yell OH YEAH!!!

It would be more entertaining than him lipsyncing. 🤷🏻‍♀️ But I’m not mad at them. They got bills to pay & kids to put through college & stuff.

* Shout out to the nurses/ back up dancers who took Bobby offstage to check his pulse ox. Poor thing, he should invest in one of those rings 🤣.

* Johnny can still sing his face off tho!!!

* Pelvic thrusts for anyone over forty should be banned onstage.

And I’m actually proud of New Edition/Bobby Brown for having enough of a catalog that they didn’t have to sing “covers” cuz I would’ve hid my head under them if they did.

Until next time,

✌🏼💜💨

Peace, Love, Exhale.