Maxwell is a once-in-a-lifetime talent—there is no debating that. Fortunately for you and me, we are alive to experience his art while the Grammy Award winner is still physically with us. However, due largely to his notorious extended breaks between acclaimed projects, it is difficult for newer R&B lovers to understand the severity of his impact within the genre. That’s where The Serenade Tour comes into play.
Maxwell had already set the bar high following an astounding display of his reverence as part of NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series. But Maxwell’s The Serenade Tour doesn’t just meet expectations; it far exceeds them. With the release date of his highly anticipated album blacksummers’NIGHT in the wind, Maxwell’s trip across North America isn’t promotionally bound to one sliver of his discography. Instead, The Serenade Tour allows Maxwell the freedom to focus on one thing–the fans. On October 6, the Brooklyn boy crossed the tunnel for Newark, New Jersey’s Prudential Center.
To concertgoers in the arena, Maxwell was there to prove that his pristine, silky smooth, baby-making vocals had aged like fine wine. But Maxwell’s The Serenade Tour, featuring special guests Jazmine Sullivan and October London, is about so much more than that. It is a culmination of passion in other areas, including self-love, care for the community, preservation of culture, and, of course, hot-blooded sexuality.
Of the beloved records heard throughout his five award-winning albums, Maxwell opted to open the show with his Al Green cover (“Simply Beautiful”). From that moment on, attendees knew The Serenade Tour was a preservation of culture. In a void of darkness illuminated solely by fans’ cell phone lights in the middle of the arena’s floor. With his stylish trench coat flowing with every blow of the industrial fan, Maxwell delivered each note as if he constructed the 1972 ballad himself. Rather than kick off the show on his meticulous stage build-out, Maxwell inserted himself into the crowd to belt out a record known by a specific demographic…true R&B fanatics. This theme of appreciation began far before Maxwell took the stage. By selecting Jazmine Sullivan and October London as this official tour support, Maxwell clearly outlined what matters the most to him–sharing company with those with the same professional mission.
“I didn’t seek critical acclaim,” Maxwell told the audience. “I sought out culture.”
Neither are mutually exclusive, as Maxwell’s illustrious career validates. Al Green wasn’t the only icon honored during the evening. With hometown hero Eric Johnson proudly gazing up from the pit, Maxwell took a moment out of his set to praise his frequent collaborator and photographer of the Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite cover art. Incorporating an instrumental medley of Beyoncé’s “16 Carriages” and Aaliyah’s “One In A Million” into “Fortunate,” Maxwell’s admiration knows no limit. But it peaked as the show closed with “Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder).” In a speech paying tribute to the late Frankie Beverly, who Maxwell credited as the inspiration behind his “cookout classic.” For those curious, yes, Maxwell still has the Megan [Thee Stallion] knees seen in several viral videos. Between floor challenges between supports in the crowd pre-show and Maxwell’s display on stage, even his signature downtempo songs could stop communal line dance from breaking out.
Following the political targeting of migrant communities, Maxwell lifted the community by encouraging others to lend that same care. Born Gerald Maxwell Rivera to a Haitian mother and a Puerto Rican father, Maxwell wouldn’t let negative discourse surrounding immigrants go unchecked. He then positively reinforced the community with sonic blends of their native sounds. But to care for others, you must tend to yourself. As “Fistful of Tears” was cued up, Maxwell revealed the true meaning behind the track: love is the ultimate protection. Although Jazmine Sullivan’s discography has been labeled as anti-love, that couldn’t be further from the truth. The powerhouse vocalist’s role on The Serenade Tour is the conductor of self-love. Wearing a smile bright enough to light up the room, careful dance moves to fill the stage, and reassured clarity in just under an hour, Jazmine injects the audience with unapologetic bliss. Jazmine and Maxwell’s setlist serves as emotional guides for navigating the complexities of romance. The ying (Jazmine) is the frustration of heartbreak. In contrast, the yang (Maxwell) is recovering from it and dares to try it all over again despite the scares left from your last attempt.
The tour’s title makes it abundantly clear that hot-blooded sexuality is on the menu. But onlookers didn’t have to wait until Maxwell’s headlining set to get their libido revving. October London took that upon himself as The Serenade Tour’s opening entertainer. The crooner turned his performance into a cigar lounge as special guest Melyssa Ford enjoyed an up close and personal look, seated on a leather couch situated onstage. October London lives up to his Marvin Gaye comparison. From the sultry richness of his voice to his confident swagger on stage, October is at home among Maxwell fans. As a heartthrob, Maxwell’s lover-boy reputation played out on the screens above, with mirages of muses appearing in the background. Maxwell reaffirms his reputation by jokingly telling the ’90s babies in the crowd he’s responsible for the era’s birth rate spike, with ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s parents cheering in agreement using cuts from Now, Embrya, and blackSUMMERS’night as supporting evidence.
Overall, The Serenade Tour is a culmination of self-love, care for the community, preservation of culture, and hot-blooded sexuality, making it the ultimate Maxwell variety pack.
Do you want more of Maxwell? Connect with him on your favorite social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Maxwell’s The Serenade Tour Setlist:
- “Simply Beautiful” (Al Green cover)
- “Get To Know Ya”
- “Lake By The Ocean”
- “Sumthin’ Sumthin’”
- “Matrimony: Maybe You”
- “Dancewitme”
- “All The Ways Love Can Feel”
- “Luxury: Cococure”
- “Bad Habits”
- “Drowndeep: Hula”
- “Whenever Wherever Whatever”
- “For Lovers Only”
- “Fistful Of Tears”
- “W/As My Girl”
- “Lifetime”
- “Fortunate” with an instrumental medley of Beyoncé’s “16 Carriages” and Aaliyah’s “One In A Million”
- “Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder)”
