POP MUSIC REVIEWS : Tony! Toni! Tone! Funk Crackles Briefly at Strand

Watching the shockingly short Tony! Toni! Tone! show at the Strand was like trying to make a meal out of one measly hors d’oeuvre. The set not only started late, but barely lasted 35 minutes.

After the show, which had no opening act, many of the fans in the packed club were justifiably angry, having paid $29.50 per person to see an abbreviated performance. According to a box-office staffer, the band was supposed to play 65 minutes.

The R&B;/funk band even walked off the stage for about four minutes at one point. It wasn’t clear whether that was part of the show or if the band was mad about something.

Possibly the group, headed by Dwayne and Raphael Wiggins and Tim Christian, wasn’t happy with the sound. During the first two songs, the microphone feedback was so frequent that you wondered whether it was an intentional effect.

In the last part of the show, the group finally warmed up and the sound improved. They played some crackling funk, highlighted by their rendition of their big hit, “The Blues.” When that number ended, the crowd was revved up and ready for more. But the show was over.

As one disgruntled fan said as he walked out: “Is that all there is?”