By Kristin Gray
AFRO Sections Editor
R&B artist Maxwell brought his seductive energy to the 1st Mariner Arena, opening for rapper Common. (Courtesy Photo)
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(October 29, 2009) - It seemed the audience had reached an orgasmic catharsis. Panties of all sizes sailed across the y-shaped stage illuminated by crimson stage lights and couples undulated their hips in a seductive exchange only soul music can induce.
Maxwell, the R&B renaissance man, had set the 1st Mariner Arena afire with one lilting falsetto note.
Gone were Maxwell’s signature curly halo and iridescent silk shirts, both parts of the image that catapulted him to superstardom in the ‘90s when he and a crop of neo-soul singers were ubiquitous on Black music charts. The 2009 Maxwell, however, is more polished and refined--- almost regal.
Donning a slim fitting, single-breasted black suit and oversized aviator glasses, Maxwell looked the part of soul music royalty as he jumpstarted the roughly two-hour set with classic hits “Sumthin’ Sumthin,’” “Fortunate” and “This Woman’s Work.” Two mammoth TV screens broadcast the mellow-voiced crooner’s chiseled face to fans in the bleachers as dazzling, larger-than-life graphics flickered in the background.
When the singer whipped out an arsenal of James Brown-inspired splits, kicks and twirls, images of music icons like Al Green loomed on the screens overhead. But where Brown’s energetic dances were swift and explosive, Maxwell’s movements were sinuous and subtle. A howl of squeals and moans erupted during “Bad Habits,” when the surprisingly limber heartthrob fell down into his first split of the night. But their delight didn’t end there.
The audience’s energy reached fever pitch when the singer vanished and reappeared using trapped doors strategically placed on the platform stage. His emergence set off multiple rounds of ear-piecing screams from the mostly female crowd. And when the New York-bred artist spoke, much of the crowd replied as though he spoke directly to them.
“I love you Baltimore,” Maxwell said, as a chorus of women echoed, “I love you, too, Maxwell.”
The audience also showed their appreciation for opening acts Chrisette Michele and Common, artists Maxwell called “classy.” He thanked Common, who gave an animated hour-long performance, for uplifting Black women in his music.
Like the concert’s headliner, Common---a honey-brown skinned, muscular lyricist heralded for his socially conscious hits---garnered his share of shrieks from the audience. But the night undoubtedly belonged to Maxwell, especially when the signature chimes of “Pretty Wings,” the artist’s latest chart topper, resonated throughout the arena. A halcyon of wing-shaped confetti fell from the arena’s ceiling and many grabbed pieces of the drifting paper for souvenirs. But for most, it was tangible evidence of their steamy night in Baltimore with Maxwell.