Maxwell guaranteed that there would be “some good singing” when the Serenade Tour made its St. Louis stop Sunday night at Enterprise Center. He and featured artists October London and Jazmine Sullivan undoubtedly delivered on that promise. Not even the sound hiccups faced by London and Sullivan could impede on the display of their talent.
“Having sound problems? Be a real singer,” London said when one of his tracks skipped and then stopped completely. The emerging star carried on with the poise, confidence (some might say warranted arrogance) and talent that superstars are made of without missing a beat. He proceeded to perform his hit “You Look Better” accompanied only by his guitarist RJ.
The 30-second B3 organ solo by St. Louis native Shedrick Mitchell during “Fortunate” brought the house down. East St. Louis native Charles Haynes got it in on drums and percussion during “Bad Habits” and “Lake by the Ocean.”
As the show opener, he emerged after a video intro that styled him as an international man of mystery – stepping from a helicopter and hopping into a luxury sedan.
His look gave as much homage to Marvin Gaye as his voice did. Not the “What’s Going On” Marvin, but the “How Sweet It Is” Marvin. London wore a pristinely tailored navy blue pinstripe double breasted suit and was smoking a cigar before he started crooning for his brief but impressive set.
After being pleased, but not necessarily blown away by his music, seeing him perform the tracks from his “Rebirth of Marvin” and “October Nights” provided a greater appreciation for his homage to the days of the classic crooner. “Touch on Me,” “Mulholland Drive” and “Back to your Place” were among them.
He’s the unlikely new face of Death Row Records after being “put on” by Snoop Dogg. It will be interesting to see how his artistry evolves.
Jazmine Sullivan kicked off her set with a snippet of “10 Seconds” before hopping into “Bust Your Windows.” She was a teenager when music icon Stevie Wonder prophesied that she would be the voice of her generation. More than 20 years later she is in her moment and rapidly ascending – particularly thanks to her most recent album “Heaux Tales.”
“Most of the women that she talked about on that last album are perceived by some of us in a certain way, but somehow [with the album] she humanized their experiences,” Maxwell said. “It’s a masterful thing.”
Sullivan was giving grown woman vibes as she performed a heavy helping of selections from “Heaux Tales” wearing a burgundy leather ensemble with matching thigh high boots. “Price Tags,” “BPW” “Pick Up Your Feelings” and “Girl Like Me” were among the highlights.
“This music matters,” Sullivan told the audience. She was preaching to the choir – a choir that knew all the words to the R&B classics that were played during the set up between the acts. Hearing them sing along to Mary J. Blige’s rendition of Chaka Khan’s “Sweet Thing” was proof of the value the music holds with them. They also knew every word of every song she presented them with from her debut album “Fearless” all the way through to her current album. She fought tooth and nail through sound woes that would have destroyed a lesser talent. And even with the band turned all the way up and her microphone volume set to whisper, she proved herself to be vocally unmatched with songs like “In Love with Another Man,” “Burn,” “Round and Round” and “Need U Bad.” She left jaws on the floor with her “Pick Up Your Feelings” finale.
Maxwell wore a beige and white ensemble that looked like he had just left a Middle Eastern oasis partying with oil money billionaires. He surprised the packed house by starting the show from the middle of the arena with “Simply Beautiful.” “Get to Know Ya” and “Lake by the Ocean” followed. “Sumthin’ Sumthin’” and “Bad Habits” were the most popular tunes within the first half of the show that leaned heavily on deep cuts from his catalogue. At first it seemed as if it was going to be a show catered to the hardcore fans. He gave thanks to his ride or die fandom – particularly for rocking with him through his” Embrya” album. However, after “Whenever Wherever Whatever,” he devoted the rest of the show to the better known tracks – like “Fortunate,” “W/As My Girl” and “Lifetime.” Over the course of his 90-minute set, he made sure to spotlight members of his musical team that are natives of the region. The 30-second B3 organ solo by St. Louis native Shedrick Mitchell during “Fortunate” brought the house down. East St. Louis native Charles Haynes got it in on drums and percussion during “Bad Habits” and “Lake by the Ocean.”
There was a sense of bliss for his latest visit to St. Louis – and an even deeper intention to connect with the people who catapulted him from busboy to R&B staple. This was especially clear when he called out the different age groups from five separate decades.
“It’s because of all of you. Thank you so much for making my life what it is,” Maxwell said before shouting out the children of the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.
“Now you understand what’s happening tonight. It’s a generational situation.”
He paid tribute to the life and music of Frankie Beverly with a moment of silence before jumping into his own cookout staple “Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder).
“Thank you for making this music mean so much. Thank you for my life. I love you.”
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