Review: An Evening with En Vogue at the Birchmere Music Hall in Alexandria, Virginia

On Friday, June 25, 2010, the legendary Funky Divas of R&B and Soul, En Vogue performed live at the historic Birchmere Music Hall. The show kicked off a two night gig at the historic Birchmere. The foursome was introduced at exactly 8:34pm.

The room is quiet, but full of anticipation. Then from off-stage: "Does anybody hear me? Is anybody listening to what's going on? Before it's too long." As the group took the stage, dressed in various ensembles of black with gold accents and accessories, the crowd exploded into applause. After the brief musical intro of "Does Anybody Hear Me" from their 1997 album EV3, the group launched into their first set. The group performed a medley of some of their "Love Don't Care" and "You Can't Come Back." The crowd was receptive to the two songs despite being less popular as they were never released as singles.

When the foursome launched into their wildly popular "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)", the crowd enthusiastically sang along. En Vogue, who is celebrating their 20^th year in the music business, has somehow managed to defy time. They have the same commanding stage presence as they did the first time I saw them in concert 17 years ago, during the Funky Divas Tour. Then the venue was bigger and there was a live band and multiple costume changes. Now, the scene is much different. The Birchmere features all table seating, and has a capacity of 500. There literally are no bad seats, so the concert is intimate. The band has been replaced by a music track. But that doesn't detract from the show at all. Vocally, the ladies are just a good in 2010 as they were in 1990 when they first started. The "breakdown" portion of "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It) sounded as clear and crisp as the original recording. The group finished the set with the songs "You Don't Have to Worry," "Lies." And "Riddle."

The ladies of the En Vogue then introduced themselves. Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron-Braggs, Maxine Jones and Dawn Robinson received a standing ovation as the personally addressed the audience. The crowd seemed especially enthusiastic to see Dawn Robinson, who has rejoined the group after a long hiatus. The group thanked the crowd for their love and support over the past 20 years.

The group then launched into their second set of songs. Cindy explained that this portion of the show was about recognizing and paying tribute to the divas who paved the way for them. Cindy then launched into a rousing performance of Cheryl Lynn's 1978 hit "Got to be Real." At the urging of the singers, the multigenerational audience rose to their feet and danced and sang along as he group took a trip down memory lane. The group belted out hits from Donna Summers, The Mary Jane Girls, The Emotions, Gladys Knight, Aretha Franklin, LaBelle and Chaka Khan and Rufus, all while performing choreography reminiscent of the 60s, 70's and 80's. En Vogue ended the set with a high energy performance of Ike and Tina's "Proud Mary." Maxine's lead vocals were spot. Her vocal prowess left the audience cheering for more as the other ladies in the group acknowledged Maxine's awesome performance. Cindy even commented that the song is her favorite part of the show.

As the group recuperated, Cindy introduced their next song, fan favorite "Giving Him Something He Can Feel". The ladies then performed a jazzy, R&B version of "Whatta Man" the song they recorded with rap superstars Salt-N-Pepa. They also performed "Ohh Boy" from their last recorded album, 2004's Soul Flower. Before ending the show, the group performed their mega hits "Free Your Mind" and Don Let Go, Love."

The group capped off the evening by thanking the audience again for their years of support and loyalty. They dedicated their last song of the evening to the late Michael Jackson who died year ago to the day of the concert. Terry then belted out the "Who's Loving You" introduction to the first number one hit, "Hold On."

En Vogue proved that they are still a force to be reckoned with. Dawn, Maxine, Terry, and Cindy wowed the crowd for over an hour with high energy and spotless vocals. I was so impressed, that I purchased a ticket to the next evenings show. It was equally as impressive. I look forward to seeing what En Vogue can do in the future and hope that they are able to ride the momentum and release some new music. However, come what may, in my mind, En Vogue remains the definitive female group in music history.