As an 80’s baby, I grew up on New Edition. The Heartbreak Tour was the first concert I ever went to in 1989 at the Saginaw Civic Center, with Al B. Sure and Oaktown’s 357 (in place of Bobby Brown) opening. Sidebar, that concert ticket was only $16.50, with a $2.00 service charge!

And they are still my favorite group to this day! So, when I say having the opportunity to see them headline The Culture Tour and write about it, is definitely a full-circle moment, I am not exaggerating.

From start to finish, Ronnie, Bobby, Rick, Mike, and Johnny didn’t miss a bit. They started the show with “Candy Girl” from the album of the same name that was released in 1983. And, throughout the night seamlessly transitioned from New Edition hits like “If it Isn’t Love”, “N.E. Heartbreak”, “You’re Not my Kind of Girl”, and “Cool it Now”, to solo hits by Ralph like “Sensitivity”, Johnny’s “My, My, My”, Bobby’s “Every Little Step”, and BBD’s “Poison”.

With a career spanning over 30 years, you could feel the love all over Little Caesars Arena, from New Edition to their fans and vice versa, as everyone in the audience dance and sang along.

With Charlie Wilson and Jodeci opening, the night was filled with great music, vibes, and memories. Unfortunately, I missed Jodeci, BUT I did catch Charlie Wilson and he understood the assignment. He took us back to his Gap Band days, with “Outstanding”, and got us together with newer jams like, “Charlie, Last Name Wilson”, “There Goes My Baby”, and “You Are”. And then, he took us to church. And I mean, soul clapping, holy ghost dancing CHURCH!

And, in between sets DJ Kool set the tone for a fun night, going from the west coast to the east coast and in between, with even a little MC Breed mixed in for all the Flint folks! Everyone around me was dancing and singing/rapping along having a great time. After the two years we’ve had dealing with COVID-19 you could see the sheer happiness, peace, and fun in everyone’s faces.

The Culture Tour is one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to, and I’m ranking it up there in my top ten with Prince, Tina Turner, and Beyoncé! If you have a chance to see them while they’re on the road, or during their reported Las Vegas residency, DO IT. You can find out more about tour dates here.