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Home > Austin Music Source > Archives > 2009 > July > 05 > Entry
Live review: Maxwell at Bass Concert Hall
The term neo soul may be passé, but you couldn’t tell by the throngs of people queuing up outside Wednesday (July 1) at Bass Concert Hall to see Maxwell. You might have thought Barack Obama was speaking by the level of security as screeners were meticulously checking for recording devices and cameras at the front door, causing a bit of a delay. Inside the building was a hive of excitement; this was the first of only two Texas dates on Maxwell’s current “BLACKsummers’night” tour, and people were in from as far away as Houston and Dallas — two cities strangely absent from the tour schedule.
Irish soul singer Laura Izibor opened the show with a set from her debut album, “Let the Truth Be Told” (Atlantic). Her confident, soulful vocals soared on “Don’t Stay,” a wistful piano introspection on love that is long past its expiration date, and “Mmm,” a gospel affirmation of love’s power. When she emerged from behind her piano, accompanied by only her guitarist, Izibor delivered her hit single “From My Heart to Yours” (recently featured on an episode of “Grey’s Anatomy”) with aplomb. No choreography, no props, just rich vocals that filled every inch of the concert hall. Opening for a big name like Maxwell can be daunting, but Izibor made the kind of impression every emerging artist wants. People took notice.
Izibor’s gritty, working class soul was a nice foil for Maxwell’s polished, “quiet storm” of a set. A decade after hitting it big with “Fortunate,” Maxwell still epitomizes the sound that defined the neo soul genre. “Till the Cops Come Knockin’” and Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work” generated large sing-alongs with the crowd nearly eclipsing the band at points. “Sumthin Sumthin” fell a bit short despite Maxwell’s attempts to elicit any kind of a response from the crowd. In a moment frustration he asked if they were going to “take it to the Waffle House,” a comical admonition of their indifference.
The best performances of the night came from Maxwell’s newest effort, “BLACKsummers’night” (Columbia), due out July 7. Maxwell and his band turned out powerfully seductive renditions of the album’s standout tracks “Bad Habits,” the quintessential slow jam, and “Cold,” a sexy lament about a female player. Still, it was obvious during hits like “Fortunate” that the audience was there to groove to the older stuff.
Maxwell’s set was thankfully absent of over-the-top choreographed dance routines, although his bump-and-grind session with the mic stand during “Everwanting: To Want You To Want” brought a swarm of women to the front of the stage; some had to be politely shown back to their seats afterward. Maxwell is unapologetic about making music for the ladies. During Wednesday night’s performance he addressed the gentlemen in the crowd acknowledging that in the beginning of his career there was some “hating” going on.
“Now the guys realize I’m just here to get things started,” he said.
Indeed. Judging from the number of smiling couples exiting the elevator after Wednesday night’s performance, Maxwell’s set was surely a preamble to more than a few amorous evenings.
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