Michael Bivins

On Sunday night, New Edition returned home to headline “The New Edition Way” tour, a multiact show at TD Garden, joined by fellow R&B heavyweights Boyz II Men and Toni Braxton. The threehour show brought audiences back to the homegrown R&B and new jack swing of the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s.

For New Edition, this concert was more than another tour stop. It was a homecoming.

Formed in 1978 in the Orchard Park housing development in Roxbury, the group: Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Bobby Brown, Ronnie DeVoe and Ralph Tresvant, later joined by Washington

D.C. native Johnny Gill, built a sound and a style that blended smooth as silk vocals, youthful confidence and polished choreography. Their name signaled ambition; they were to be a “new edition” of the Motown greats they admired.

Sunday’s show brought that journey full circle.

The performance opened with “We Going Out Tonight,” written by Bell and performed by all three headliners, which got the crowd on their feet instantly. The energy continued as the acts performed a mix of solo songs and band ballads accompanied by a colorful and sparkling array of costumes and energetic backup dancers.

The headliners, now all in their 50s , moved with nostalgia-inducing choreography, soulful vocals and crowd engagement. Decked out in white suits and top hats, New Edition performed their 1988 hit “Can You Stand the Rain” to much excitement and applause. The packed arena was full of voices singing in unison. Toward the end of the night, the group took the audience back in time, performing a series of hits from their early days including 1983’s “Candy Girl” and 1984’s “Mr. Telephone Man.”

During solo sets, Tresvant’s velvet vocals belted out “Sensitivity,” Brown performed “Roni” and Gill held an impressive note for more than half a minute to the awe of attendees and his bandmates alike. At one point during a solo performance of “Rub You the Right Way,” Gill sauntered into the crowd and handed a rose to a lucky attendee.

Boyz II Men members Shawn Stockman, Nathan Morris and Wanyá Morris also handed out roses to audience members, during a belated Valentine’s Day performance of “I’ll Make Love to You.” This was met with delighted cheers from concertgoers, who sang along to their performance of the beloved hit, “End of the Road.”

Attendee Kate Alegbo said their love ballad was the highlight of the night. “I’m excited to see all of them,” she said, “But ‘I’ll Make Love to You’ was my favorite so far.”

During Braxton’s performances her distinct and sensual vocals were on full display as she performed songs like “Just Be a Man About It” and “He Wasn’t Man Enough.” During an emotional interlude, she choked up while addressing the 20,000-person crowd, revealing she was grateful to be on tour after doctors told her she’d never be able to perform again due to her lupus diagnosis. Afterward she dedicated the song “Breathe Again” to her sister Traci. Her magnum opus, “Un-break My Heart” was emotional for Braxton, who cried as the crowd crooned with her.

The evening’s lineup underscores New Edition’s enduring stature. During another reflective show moment, Boyz II Men shared how influential New Edition was to them. Boyz II Men, the Philadelphia then quartet known for velvety ballads and impeccable harmonies, have long cited New Edition as an influence. Their band name reportedly comes from the 1988 New Edition song “Boys to Men.”

Bivins is also credited with discovering the boy band and managing their early career, which he revealed during a HOT 97 interview in 2023. Toni Braxton, whose contralto voice defined 1990s R&B, shares a history with producers and songwriters who helped shape New Edition’s later sound.

Still, the spotlight in Boston belongs to its hometown heroes.

Over the years, the city has formally recognized their contributions, declaring an official New Edition Day on August 30 last year on the heels of the New Edition Way street renaming ceremony. Neighborhood residents and city officials celebrate the band’s achievements as cultural ambassadors for the city. Their success has offered a powerful narrative for Boston’s Black community: a story of young men from public housing who leveraged talent and discipline into global acclaim.

TD Garden, home to the Celtics and Bruins, stands just a few miles from where the group members once practiced routines and dreamed big. For longtime fans, seeing New Edition headline in their hometown is a testament to endurance. The group has weathered internal conflicts, lineup changes and the pressures of early fame.

Brown departed in the mid- 1980s to pursue a solo career that would make him an icon in his own right. Gill joined in 1987, adding a deeper vocal range that propelled the group into a more mature era. The 1988 album “Heart Break,” produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, delivered hits such as “If It Isn’t Love” and “Can You Stand the Rain,” solidifying New Edition’s transition from teen sensations to adult R&B standard-bearers.

Willa Mae Burnett, a 75-year old Roxbury native and self-described “original OP [Orchard Park] girl” said she “feels wonderful,” when asked about the concert. She continued, “I knew these young men since they were boys. It’s just awesome.”

Beyond their own catalog, the group’s influence radiates through contemporary R&B and pop. Bell, Bivins and DeVoe formed Bell Biv DeVoe, pioneers of the new jack swing movement with the 1990 hit “Poison.” Tresvant and Gill each found solo success. Collectively, their blueprint with synchronized dance moves, alternating lead vocals and a blend of innocence and edge, paved the way for countless boy bands that followed.

Through the accolades, New Edition has consistently returned to their hometown, last performing locally three years ago. For Boston, it is always more than a concert. It is a celebration of legacy, perseverance and hometown pride sprinkled with the harmonic, enduring spirit of Roxbury.

As the show closed out with an energetic and gratifying performance of “Poison,” complete with green and white confetti, matching both the headliners’ costumes and the Celtics, Bivins called out to the crowd.

“We’re just some boys from Orchard Park,” he said. “Selling out the Garden is historic.”