Generally speaking, any music crtic in the country would need only one short glance at a concert crowd to tell you the type of music being played. Lots of leather and tattoos? Heavy metal. Pressed blue jeans, 6-inch wide belt buckles and cowboy hats? Even easier, a country show.
Then there is Boyz II Men - one of the few acts, if not the only one, whose broad cross-over appeal has created an audience that defies labels. The crowd at last night's performance at the Polaris Amhitheater was a census taker's dream with every age, gender, and race imagianable represnted.
What is responsible for this phenomonon? It would be diificult to narrow it down to any one thing. The phrase "complete package" may be an overused cliche in the entertainment world, but it's an accurate description of Boyz II Men. Unlike many of their contemporaries, their substance is as deep as their style.
Graduates of the Creative and Performing Arts High School of Philadelphia, their voices are a well-trained blend of bass, baritone, and tenor (with the occassional falsetto thrown in for the effect). The training they recieved in operatic and jazz singing was apparent in the control they exhibited during their many trips up and down the scale.
What made their control all the moe impressive was that they were singing during complex dance routines that would put their musical forerunners-The Spinners, The Pips, etc.-to shame. If the harmonizing wasn't driving the audience wild, the dancing was.
Of course, let's not forget the songs. The audience may have been a demographic melting pot, but Boyz II Men brought a little something for everyone. From the funk of "Thank You," and "Motownphilly" to the show, romantic ballads "On Bended Knee," and "I'll Make Love to You," Boyz II Men covered the musical gamut.
Add the fact that Boyz II Men have yet to exhibit any of the preening arrogance or personal excesses that seem to go hand-in-hand with success, and it's easy to see why they are so popular.