This was Maxwell then when he came out as a sexy soul singer in the late '90s. He was 24, shy, soulful and gorgeous.
This is Maxwell now modeling for a recent Gap ad. He's now 35, has shaved off the beautiful bounty of hair that so many of us swooned over, and if his first concert in 6 years (that I went to last night) is any evidence, Maxwell is no longer shy.
My sister and I were so excited when we heard that Maxwell was finally about to release his long awaited fourth album, Black Summers Night, the first in a trilogy set of albums released, 2008, 2009, and 2010. Actually this album was supposed to be released on the eve of Valentines day 2007. But as many fans realized when they flocked to his website that day, the wait was far from over.
Eventually he released a 1 minute snippet of a new tune called, Pretty Wings, which was beautiful, unique and dramatic, a la Maxwell but nothing else for over a year. So that is why I could not wait to see him live and performing again. On the day the tickets went on sale I was the first in line. I watched anxiously as a guy then girl after girl arrived to buy tickets. The tickets were surprisingly pricey and as one girl in line put it, "There better be some strippin' going on for these prices." Well wherever that girl was in the audience she almost got her wish.
Jazmin Sullivan, a 20 year-old protege of Missy Elliot, opened the show. She has a gorgeous mature voice and impressed me enough to buy some of her songs on itunes when I got home. Then 20 minutes later, it was Maxwell time...
The band was dressed like a Duke Ellington band from the 1930's. It was sexy! The Saxophone player, Kenneth from Memphis, was quite cute too. Anyway, the hour and a half set started off with the interlude Suitelady, and then broke into a joyous version of Get to know ya, and Lifetime. The girl's, and some of the guys, screamed throughout the entire show, including myself. His rendition of Kate Bush's song, Women's Work, set off high pitched screams. And his voice sounded just as beautiful as before.
This gets me to the sexy part. Maxwell was so excited to be back performing before a sold out show that he thanked the audience over and over again and flung himself around the stage, gyrating, kicking, and doing back bends until he was sweating.I think someone's been taking some Capoeira lessons while he's been off the scene. These 6 years seems to have liberated him sexually and it shows. The way he moved his fingers along his leg or the microphone was as if he was sensually keying a piano. When he got on his knees girls screamed like he was about to propose to them. When he got on his back with the microphone between his legs, and those hips started moving, my mouth dropped open. It was like a sensual orgy and Maxwell was the heated center of it.
He went on to sing Everwanting: To want you to want, Sumthin' Sumthin,' Was my girl. After commenting about how beautiful Toronto girl's are, "I'm trying to concentrate on the show but there are so many beautiful women in this city," he then asked the audience if it was okay to sing one of his new tunes. He sang Pretty Wings and it was the first time any of us has heard it in full. It's a great song! He sang a sexy version of Al Green's song Simply Beautiful (his version of it on the Bet awards officially put him back on the map this summer), then Fortunate, and another new song called Bad Habits. Can't wait for that one. After singing ...Til Cops come knockin' he took a bow. After a two minute chant for an encore the band came back on, "Is there something you want to hear? Do we got anymore songs?" asked Maxwell before going on to sing his final tune, Whenever, wherever, whatever.
Maxwell had mentioned that he worried that his long hiatus may have lost him his fan base. But as his sold out shows are proving that is far from the case. I realized as I watched him no one has even come close to the uniqueness Maxwell offers. He is bohemian, soulful, Brooklyn, old school glamour and sensual mystery all in one. He is irreplaceable in the music scene. But I must say I miss two things about Maxwell, the shyness masked by intensity and the beautiful mane. But I guess all boys have to grow up sometime. Can't wait for his new album. 
