Let me drop a little knowledge for the young ones: New Edition is one of the most influential acts to ever play a Vegas residency. Originally inspired by the Jackson 5, they similarly turned classic R&B and soul into pop music that appealed to all audiences—while they were between 13 and 15 years old. They cranked out more hits before breaking into separate acts, with Bobby Brown and Bell Biv DeVoe playing pivotal roles in the blending of R&B and hip-hop (and solo artists Ralph Tresvant and Johnny Gill have some bangers in their catalogues as well).
Now the boys from Boston are closing out an epic, year-long Strip residency at Wynn, time to recognize yet another historic accomplishment.
“It’s one of those things, as an artist, you put on your bucket list to want to get there one day,” says Ricky Bell, the singer who shines on plenty of tracks by NE and BBD. “It’s different, it’s intimate, and being in a smaller theater like Encore Theater at Wynn as been amazing, to say the least.
“To see a lot of fans coming back repeatedly, show after show ... it’s quite overwhelming for us.”
The fans love it because they’re getting exactly what they want, what they’ve always wanted: All six members performing together, running through all the songs that made their individual and collective careers special.
“When you see New Edition, you not only get that catalog, you get to see Bob do his thing. You get to see us do each other’s songs,” says Bell.
And if you’re lucky enough to score a ticket to the Valentine’s Day show, prepare for some extra special surprises.
“It’s the lovers’ holiday and New Edition is the group you want to bring your wife or girlfriend to. I think it’s the perfect backdrop because we have a lot of love songs and we’re all about the ladies,” he continues. “We’ve got a couple surprises and we’re going to change up a few things, but I don’t want to give it away.”
The surprise we really want is more residency shows. February’s concerts mark the run’s end, and a big tour is coming this fall, but this show has been too successful to close it out for good. One way or another, says Bell, New Edition will definitely be back in Las Vegas. “We’ve always had sellouts and great turnouts, great audiences, and we don’t take any of that for granted.”
NEW EDITION February 14, 15, 19, 21 & 22, 8 p.m., $195+. Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com.
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