Witnessing couples dance in the aisles to their favorite slow jams is worth any price, not to mention hearing the songs that were performed live by R&B crooners Joe, Anthony Hamilton and Maxwell Saturday night at State Farm Arena.
The experience was unmatched, a cut above today’s ramped-up festival-style concerts that became the norm even before the pandemic. Instead, the three solo male acts, who combine for 32 Grammy nominations throughout their careers, delivered a clinic on how the smooth sounds of R&B music can fill a sold-out arena.
The Night Tour kicked things off with Joe, who has become a staple in the genre for mixing his soulful voice with various hip-hop ventures. He opened his 20-minute set with the theme song from the wildly popular cable series “Power.” As odd as it sounds for a singer to perform a theme song, the crowd responded as if he had performed a no. 1 hit.
Joe’s best moment came when the 48-year-old singer remixed his hit song “Don’t Wanna be a Player” with Latin music, a nod to the late rapper Big Punisher, who collaborated on the track.
Following Joe were the Southern soul sounds of Anthony Hamilton, the singer-songwriter from North Carolina. His ties to Atlanta run deep, as he was originally signed by Jermaine Dupri. From his debut feature with Atlanta rap group Nappy Roots to his hit single “Point of it All,” Hamilton has been known for his raspy, church-familiar sound. There were times during his 45-minute set that felt off, as if things were slowing down a bit too much. But with his flawless background singers, his band and his ability to smoothly transition from a baritone to a falsetto, all was forgiven.
Hamilton has a way of making an audience feel they are sharing the night with someone they’ve known a lifetime. Between his thanks yous and singling out family members and personal friends, the vibe of a family reunion filled the air.
Things got even more familiar when the Grammy-winner covered “Superstar.”
Although covered by many, it truly became a classic in the 1980s when Luther Vandross released a version. Hamilton recorded his version with Jennifer Hudson in 2021 on the album “Love is the New Black.” To hear Hamilton sing it live was truly a special moment, as his slow vibrato could be heard so clearly in the arena.
Hamilton acknowledged the difficulty of performing a song like “Superstar” saying, “It’s like singing it in the Apollo (Theatre) here in Atlanta. I had to do it right.”
Hamilton ended his set with “Charlene,” the song that catapulted his career 19 years ago. By this time, the audience was prepped for Maxwell, who took the stage about 10:15 p.m. with an eclipsed sun on the background of the stage.
The symbolism was fitting when thinking about Maxwell’s 26-year-music career.
Performing in a black suit with mirror-like pieces, Maxwell was back to donning the hairstyle he started with in 1996, the curly afro, which seemed to be perfectly lit during the entire show.
The Brooklyn native got right to his hits, starting with “Sumthin’ Sumthin’,” “Lifetime” and “Fortunate,” which he just so casually mixed with a cover of Prince’s “Do Me.”
A special thing about Maxwell’s live performance that isn’t too evident when looking back on his career is this guy can really move and perform. He laid on every beat the band gave him, from stage left to stage right, especially on songs like “Bad Habits.”
He took a break to show love toward Hamilton and Joe saying, “You have three black men in town tonight to celebrate all you women.”
Maxwell proceeded to perform his Grammy-winning song “Pretty Wings” for nearly 10 minutes and a more upbeat version of “Lake by the Ocean,” showing off his Caribbean dance moves.
The highlight of the night came when the 48-year-old singer performed “Ascension,” forcing even superstar Usher, who was spotted in the crowd, to start dancing and singing along with the entire arena. The moment was powerful. Maxwell took it all in, hearing his songs being sung by thousands of fans at once — a long way from 1996, when his sound was new and filled nightclubs rather than arenas. “A lot of people doubted me,” said the singer of his start in the industry. “You let me have my lane. Thank you.”
