He stepped on stage and immediately captivated the audience with his powerful and raspy voice as he sung “Bad Habits”.

Women fanned themselves as each song ended becoming more and more infatuated with his sexual connotations. Men gently nodded their heads to the beat as their partners snuggled in their arms. 

Maxwell’s Black Summer Night tour made the end of October feel like July. The First Mariner Arena in Baltimore, MD was packed with a bunch of anxious fans that couldn’t wait to see and hear what the new freshly cut Maxwell would have to offer after an eight year hiatus.

As he sung “A Woman’s Worth” his voice hypnotized the crowd and had them in a trance.

Maxwell really tossed up a sexual delicatessen when he sung, “I want to eat it up like sushi, with soy sauce and Wasabi.” This caused a loud uproar from the ladies followed by two women throwing their brightly colored underwear on the stage.

When the beat dropped to his well known song “Fortunate,” everyone in the crowd went wild.
People got out of their seats, bopped their heads to the beat, and recited the lyrics.  His fans hung on to his every word, phrase, and syllable. By the time Maxwell finished doing splits, spins, and back bins, the audience was dizzy from excitement.

Besides being a wonderful performer, he was also genuine. Following a dazzling show he returned to the stage and thanked the audience for their support. 

At the end of his performance his white button up shirt was dripping with sweat, and his gray suit jacket was nowhere to be found.

Opening acts included rapper Common and songstress Chrisette Michele. The highlight of Common’s performance came when he kissed a female fan directly on her lips after he pulled her on stage. It was hard for the crowd to settle down after that. He solemnly, yet powerfully stood on stage reciting lyrics, while his music bumped in the background. He pleased the crowd with his hit “The Light”.

Chrisette Michele had a sultry performance but it was lacking energy. She didn’t utilize the large stage, and her appearance seemed weary. Concert attendee Marcella Ogden felt that helped to contribute to the effect of her music.

“That is Chrisette’s style,” Ogden said. “She wants us to feel what she is saying. Sometimes it is not happy.”

The only issue during the concert was a technical problem with the projector. During times when the projector should have been showing the action happening on the stage, random images of waterfalls and flowers were shown instead.

Overall, the concert was a success. Ticket prices ranged from $20 to approximately $150.

Regardless the amount of money spent, every cent was well worth it.