Maxwell rode in on the wave of neo soul singers well over two decades ago and is still going strong, judging by his “The Night Tour,” which landed at Chaifetz Arena on Wednesday night.
Despite having no new album to promote, Maxwell as well as fellow R&B singers Anthony Hamilton and Joe drew a respectable crowd of 5,500 fans.
Maxwell’s fans know he takes his time between albums. His last album, the second part of a trilogy, was 2016’s “blackSUMMERs’night,” and before that it was 2009’s “BLACKsummers’night.” The final installment, “blacksummers’NIGHT,” has been teased as a 2022 release. Though there are no exact dates for the album, there is a single from it, titled “Off."
The concert represented different strands of man-powered R&B and soul, or as Maxwell told the crowd, it brought together “three Black men to celebrate all the girls.”
Equipped with a lean set list of only 14 songs, the tour was also apparently a welcome chance for Maxwell to get his feet wet again on the road after being cooped up for so long.
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“For two years we’ve been stuck. I was in the house. We’re together now,” he said, adding we’re all living life again.
Dressed in a well-tailored black suit with his expressive Afro hairstyle intact, Maxwell stayed in familiar terrain during the 70-minute show, which played out on a clean, simple set that kept the focus largely on the singer and his smooth and occasionally even athletic performance (those moves!).
He opened strongly with “Sumthin’ Sumthin’” from his debut album “Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite” (1996), followed by “Dancewitme” and “Lifetime.”
“What up … We’re in the Lou,” said Maxwell, who wasn’t shy about dropping St. Louis into his lyrics all night. “And I’m the luckiest man in the world because I’m here with you and we got your natives in the room.”
He wasted no time introducing two Ferguson natives on stage with him — organist Shedrick Mitchell, a longtime band member, and trumpeter Keyon Harrold, who has long been in Maxwell’s sphere. Harrold was afforded a tremendous solo and his own spotlight on “Stop the World."
The night also included the gorgeous “Fortunate,” which took on Prince’s “Do Me Baby” at the back end, putting Maxwell's falsetto to the test and was followed by “Bad Habits.”
Maxwell brought funky flavor to “Get to Know Ya,” floated gently with “Pretty Wings,” grooved deliciously on “Ascension,” pausing to let the audience deliver a key lyric, and kept it lush for “Whenever Wherever Whatever.”
His new song, “Off.” felt … off, compared to the familiar songs surrounding it, though it’s key to keep in mind the song is helping usher in the eventual new album.
His cover of Heatwave’s slow jam classic “Always and Forever” was a surprising choice considering what was not in the set — his exquisite cover of Kate Bush’s “This Woman's Work.”
Hamilton brought his fiery soul to the table beginning with opening selection “I’m Cool.” Songs such as “Best of Me,” “The Point of It All,” “So in Love” and “Charlene” were some of the staples he performed with gritty vocals and Southern charm.
He barely dived into his latest album “Love is the New Black” save for his stellar cover of the Luther Vandross version of “Superstar,” which he performed faithfully. He pointed the crowd to the album version featuring Jennifer Hudson, though he warned “it might get you in trouble.”
After asking the crowd how “country” it was, he teased the crowd with “Po’ Folks,” a Nappy Roots song featuring him, then took it back to the hood for “Comin’ From Where I'm From.”
Singer Joe, representing the more mainstream end of the bill, delivered hits such as “Don't Wanna Be a Player,” “I Wanna Know,” “Love Scene,” “More & More” and “All the Things Your Man Won't Do," all handled with his usual grace.
The tour is produced by the new Black Promoters Collective.
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March 25, 2022 at 01:15AM
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Maxwell delivers smooth grooves at Chaifetz Arena with Anthony Hamilton, Joe - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
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