Sarah Godfrey reviewed a January 2005 Bone Thugs-N-Harmony performance for The Washington Post:

When Bone Thugs-N-Harmony first appeared on the scene, it seemed their departure from the rap game would occur as quickly as their double-time delivery. The unique, repetitive rhymes and hypnotic, hymnlike tracks of their 1994 debut "Creepin On Ah Come Up" smacked of a short-lived novelty act. But at the 9:30 club Wednesday night, current members Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone and Wish Bone delivered a set that helped explain their enduring popularity. Even without ousted member Bizzie Bone, the rappers held their own.

The Bone Thugs even did away with the usual hip-hop concert song sequencing, delivering their best-known material early on. Their ode to the welfare check, "1st of tha Month," and duets that featured tracks from the late Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur were among the first songs performed. The high-pitched synth squeal that introduces "Tha Crossroads," their most popular song to date, arrived before the set reached the 30-minute mark.

Performing the radio favorites upfront seemed a signal that the show would end early, but it turned out to be a way for the men to devote more time to the songs that have solidified their cult status: those that explore the ups and downs of chemical dependency.

"We don't promote drugs, we just use 'em," Wish told the crowd before a trio of stimulant-themed songs: "Ecstasy," "Bad Weed Blues" and the reverential "Weed Song." But after that medley, the show deteriorated. The group tried to end with "Days of Our Livez," a pensive tune that shows off its harmonies, but couldn't bear to leave the stage. The final minutes of freestyling and rhyming over other groups' beats showed that, despite their years of experience, the Bone Thugs haven't learned how to end a show on a high note.