The Black Promoters Collective Bring Maxwell Featuring Joe and Anthony Hamilton to the Wintrust Arena For an Unforgettable Experience
In December 2018, which seems like a lifetime ago and the world was much more normal, my sister and I got tickets to see Maxwell and Marsha Ambrosius at the Chicago Theatre. It was an amazing experience in such a classic theatre. They both used their voices to fill the room and played decades worth of their much-beloved songs. Maxwell even took a selfie with my sister’s phone. I told her it pays to be related to me. Little did we know that a little more than a year later, we would not have these experiences.
In my previous article titled “Music, Museums, and Murals: Arts Healing Bridge during Social Distancing,” I touched upon how art and culture define who we are, not just as individuals, but as a community. One of the best ways for communities to embrace culture is with live entertainment. After a complete drought of in-person, live entertainment in 2020, and a controlled reopening in 2021, 2022 is starting to come back to a modified normalcy.
Who would have thought that just a year later we would see a global pandemic not only take so many of our loved ones from us, but also completely change the way we spend time with family, go to work, or even enjoy art and culture. With the COVID-19 virus running rampant, our activities were put into two categories: essential and nonessential. Sadly, art, live music, and festivals were classified as non-essential. Venues that would be packed with tens of thousands of patrons weekly were vacant. The ironic thing is that many of us spent countless hours experiencing art via streaming movies, TV shows, or music. It was a very dark time for the world, which makes this concert and the mission of the Black Promoters Collective much more memorable.
The Black Promoters Collective is a group of six independent and Black-owned promotion companies that have produced 200-250 concerts across the country. They feature top-tier talent, such as, Usher, New Edition, Charlie Wilson, Jodeci, Patti LaBelle, and The Isley Brothers. Their recent offering brings together three of the most talented, successful, and Wintrust Arena.
The Wintrust Arena is Chicago’s fifth-largest venue by capacity and the South Side’s largest indoor venue, with a capacity of over 10,000 people. It is also the home of the DePaul Blue Devils men and women’s basketball team and the home of the 2021 WNBA champions, the Chicago Sky. In addition, the Wintrust Arena was where Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot held her inauguration in 2019. Chicago’s breadth of venues is usually located downtown or on the North Side. This means that non-North Side patrons must travel from their South Side, Southland, and West Side neighborhoods and head up north for their entertainment. The aftereffect is that surrounding businesses experience a bump in revenue when it comes to dining, lodging, and after-show entertainment. The Wintrust Arena makes these experiences available to South Side businesses and patrons.
The Black Promoters Collective can put on a show! Not only that, but they can also pack a full house. experienced their previous concert with New Edition, featuring Charlie Murphy and Jodeci, and it was filled to the brim.
This concert was hosted by V103’s Bionce Fox and DJ Phantom to entertain the crowd before the performers graced the stage. Joe Thomas, one of the most consistent leading R&B singers from the mid 90’s, has topped charts in each decade since his debut. He opened the set with his songs,” Stutter” (a duet with Case from the Rush Hour Soundtrack),” Faded Pictures,” and “What If a Woman.” He brought out a combination of the smoothness of a crooner and the raspiness of a gospel singer. The highlight of his set was “All the Things,” which the whole crowd recited word for word. He definitely warmed the crowd for the next anticipated performer.
Anthony Hamilton, who embodies a kind of soul from yesteryear, strutted to the stage to UGK’s “International Players Anthem,” his duets with Nappy Roots “Po’ Folks,’ and Jill Scott (singing “So in Love with You”). You could have mistaken his set for a church revival with the energy from Anthony and the electricity of his band. He looked around and saw the multitude in attendance and
said, Anthony said, “Dang! Y’all sold the tickets to the back and all around to the other back.” He slowed things down a bit with his buttery smooth rendition of H.E. R’s classic,” Best Part,” which made the whole crowd raise their hands in the sky. He maintained the mood with “The Point of It All” and an extended cover of legendary singer Luther Vandross’ timeless song, “Superstar.”
Everyone enjoyed his set, and the elders in the room sang along with him. It was truly a beautiful experience. He closed out the song with another extended set of his powerful classic, “Charlene.” This song has been a staple in his catalog for nearly two decades. The passion, emotion, and power he demonstrated is a testament to the song and his longevity.
Speaking of longevity, Maxwell is one of the elder statesmen of R&B, soul, neo soul, and timeless music. He was an emerging artist in the mid-90’s. He did not explode onto the scene but was more of a slow burn that bubbled over. He arrived to the stage in dense fog while his instrumentals, “Phoenix Rise,” then followed by” Dance Wit’ Me” blared in the background. As he emerged from the stage, it was poetic that after these past few years, with socio-political strife, an economic recession, and a pandemic shutting live music down, a phoenix rose from the ashes.
He then maintained the high energy with “Sumthin’, Sumthin’.” Next, he paired two classics, his 1999 power ballad “Fortunate,” followed by a soothing cover of Prince’s early 80’s hit, “Do Me Baby.” A song speaking to the climate of the times was “Stop the World.” We felt this, and it made us appreciate the moments we have with loved ones. He then covered the late and great songwriter Rod Temperton’s classic for Heatwave’s,” Always and Forever,” to a slow-dancing crowd. He covered his most recent sizzling single, “Off,” which has been number one on the R&B charts.
One of his major hits since his resurgence in 2009, “Pretty Wings,” or as he called it, “The Begging Part of the Show,” created a sing-along with the crowd. He finished his set with his longtime lead singer and South Side native, La Tina Webb, for his endearing and everlasting ballad,” Whenever, Wherever, Whatever.”
The highlight of the night was when Maxwell sang his 1996 classic, ”Ascension: Don’t Ever Wander,” or better yet, when the whole stadium sang it with him. He asked the crowd, “Where are my 80’s babies?” “My 90’s?” “My 2000’s?” Then he asked, “What about my 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s?” Each time he called out a decade, the crowd responded. He literally called out six decades of people, some who weren’t even born when this gem came out. It didn’t matter. The spirit within his music transcends age, race, and gender. Since his arrival, he has created songs that have truly touched the hearts of people across time and space.
The Black Promoters Collective brought us an amazing show. They are also involved with each community where they have shows. They are integral with hiring within the community, with proceeds going to schools, and supporting local businesses. This is a great community opportunity, especially given the televised racial tension and wealth disparity we have seen worldwide since 2020. Two years ago, we were all hesitant to even stand next to someone in closed spaces. As it seems, we have the bulk of the virus behind us, now, we can come together and enjoy what truly unites us: art, music, culture, and a sense of community.
Speaking of longevity, Maxwell is one of the elder statesmen of R&B, soul, neo-soul, and timeless music.
