Annabelle R.
Yelp
I was so excited that New Edition was coming to town, as I had waited years for them to tour locally in the bay area. What made it even better is that one of their openers would be Jodeci. How ideal was this! My friend and I joked beforehand that we didn't even know the other opener (Charlie Wilson) and were hoping that we'd see more of the other artists. But the joke was on us, cuz Charlie Wilson ended up bringing the most suprising entertainment factor to this whole experience, and we walked away definitely knowing his name (and entire bio, lol), which he integrated into some of his songs and the way he hyped up the crowd.
Pushing 70 and big pimpin on stage, there was a swagger about "Uncle Charlie" that was just hilarious and memorable... like telling "all the beautiful ladies to stand up" and "all the ugly ladies to sit down." I know, maybe some may see it as offensive, but showing his personality through his comments and stage presence was entertaining nonetheless, enough that I had to mention it in this Yelp review. It also turned out that we knew a good amount of his music (ie. Computer Love), but we were just unfamiliar with his original band and collaborations.
The performances by New Edition and Jodeci were also amazing, they sang and danced to most of my favorite hits, bringing back memories and lots of thrills throughout the evening. And even after all these years, they still had a remarkable energy that just had to be appreciated. It was so much fun... better than a lot of the concerts I've been to here in the past and having watched similar artists at other venues.
The sound quality at Oakland Arena was much improved from previous visits, though the headliner volume was quite loud and screeched a bit toward the end (the crowd was extremely loud as well, and it was definitely a full house from top to bottom, so I can somewhat understand how all that noise made my ears ring). Seats in section 231 are borderline back stage on one end, but the other end had a great up close view of the stage. There was even that all too familiar aroma of cannabis that can't be missed during concerts at this arena :P
The lighting was great, alternating hues shining over the audience as well as on stage, the effects of thunder and rain leading into New Edition's performance of "Can you stand the rain" (one of my faves), and even the many outfits that the artists changed into mid-performance.
There was barely a wait to get into the venue, and hardly a wait for parking, though the parking fee is quite expensive, I think $40 (cashless). And we were delighted to find that they not only served beverages (alcoholic, and sodas without the bottle caps), but also food (nachos, hot dogs, pretzels, popcorn, candy). And there was no wait at the food stands, and only a small line for drinks at the bar.
The concert started on time at 8:00pm, while finishing at 12:00 midnight, so we didn't feel like each group rushed through their bits, and we definitely got our money's worth (short breaks and a DJ between performers). If only the area/ neighborhood for the venue was better, it would be perfect... but it's not the safest, and there's nothing really nearby. But hey, all the employees, ushers, security, etc. were great, so at least on site, everything was awesome. We walked away happy!