I traveled to Toronto, Ontario, Canada on June 30 for SWV's farewell performance during the Ice Cream Summer Fest at the Molson Amphitheater. The Sisters With Voices -- Coko, Taj and LeLee -- co-headlined the outdoor festival with New Edition, who was minus lead singer Ralph Tresvant who was under the weather and had missed shows that whole weekend. SWV performed many of their hit records, including "Anything," "Rain," "Use Your Heart" and "Weak," which closed out the energetic show. The trio got a roaring standing ovation from the Canadian crowd, whose chants of "SWV" echoed in the outdoors as the ladies took their final bow. The group received flowers and gifts from the organizers of the show and then went backstage to take photos with New Edition, who has already invited the girls to reunite for their 25th anniversary celebration next year.
Aside from detailing the SWV reunion, Murray also wrote about K-Ci
and JoJo from Jodeci.
The biggest disappointment of the concert were Jodeci breakouts K-Ci and JoJo Hailey. The brother duo made their presence in Toronto known from the very beginning, having their driver take them to a liquor store straight from the airport and showing the effects of it during a live radio interview that afternoon. When the group arrived at the venue that evening for the show, JoJo fell out of the car and onto the ground when an attendant opened his car door. Two people had to carry him upstairs to their dressing room where he stayed until the group hit the stage mid-show.
The actual performance was scary to say the least. The ladies from SWV were practically in tears watching them from a monitor backstage, seeing how guys they once adored had succumbed to the pressures of fame and fortune. Watching a frail K-Ci get half naked and gyrate was nothing compared to hearing what is left of JoJo's voice and seeing the condition he is in. The latter was incoherent most of their set, slurring through songs, sounding as is he was having a stroke onstage and not nearly hitting signature notes. Coko was vocally mad that she'd left her Holy oil at the hotel, because she had decided she was going to pray with the guys before she left the venue. When the SWV went to K-Ci & JoJo's dressing room to pray, they discovered a bloodied JoJo being attended to by medical attendants who were stitching up his head. Apparently while taking photos at a photo booth with fans -- they even charged them $25 a picture -- JoJo collapsed and busted his head open in two places.
J.A.M. I could go on them so hard right now. But I got love for Jodeci. One day all that hard livin is gonna catch up with them.
~AfroMuffs
