So as you know… because either you were there, you missed it or have been living under a rock… Maxwell and Jill Scott started the 2010 Tour here in Cleveland last night. We were honored to welcome them to our beautiful city on one of the best weather days we’ve had this week. Cleveland showed up and showed out in their best to see what all the buzz was about. Jill has not been to Cleveland in years and of course Maxwell, eh hem, has been out of the music scene for nearly a decade! So Cleveland definitely had something to be excited about.
The opener for the show was a comedic act by Guy Torry… um yes he was funny, but when he started to joke about the Cleveland Cavaliers and Lebron’s Mom it all went sour. If anybody doesn’t know by now the Cleveland Cavs are off limits! Yes he got boo’s by the crowd. See clips here… Excuse the side video we are still working out the kinks of UStream.
And I am sure there were some Cavs in the building, heck you couldn’t miss Zydrunas “Big Z” Ilgauskas sitting in the front row. But the show went on, Torry was not the best choice for an opening act considering the grandness that would proceed him, but he did have a few funny moments. He can be obnoxious in his comedic approach which is the complete opposite of the love groove we were to experience when Jill and Max came onto the stage.
Truly this concert was for the couples and the single ladies. The ladies definitely packed out this show. Speaking with the concert goers we definitely had a split between who would be the better act, Jill or Maxwell, and also who would be the opening act. Both Maxwell and Jill have a huge following and a career that speaks for itself, Jill- actress, songstress, Grammy awards winner, Maxwell- song writer, Grammy awards winner. But it was not a surprise that Jill was the opening act considering Maxwell has the most recent album to drop… don’t worry Jill will have hers dropping soon but I’ll get into that a little later.
So Jill hits the stage first and with much anticipation from the audience we all roar from front row to the nose bleeds. It has been a long time since I’ve heard such a roar but it was all love. Her full band, which seemed to stretch across the stage like an orchestra, sparks up an uptempo beat while two dancers within a silhouette box dance seductively above the band on each side of the stage.
See the snippet here…
Before she had even walked out, with the sexy silhouette dancers floating above the stage, at that very moment I did question whether it was going to be Jill or Maxwell first but then suddenly we see a beautiful voluptuous figure emerge from the shadows stomping from the right stage like a runway couture model. Now ladies and gentlemen… if you haven’t seen a real woman do the dang thang like this then you better recognize. Jill poses and accepts the love energy Cleveland has to give and from there it is all sky high.
Her outfit was so funky. A black leather one piece dress that came to her mid thy.
I wish we had more pictures but this is a little bit for now. Here is Colby Colb of Z1079 and Bijou Star with Jill backstage…
I mean, Jill had on the bad ass couture black leather dress that came to her mid thy with black leggings underneath. The shoulder pads of the dress were exaggerated with rhinestones all over. The belt was sparkling bedazzled rhinestones which read “JILL” on the buckle. She had on skin tight leggings down to a black and white stripped ankle boot… I’ll try to find more pics later of similar fashion trends for the ladies to cop.
She kept her show uptempo with tracks from her newest to oldest albums. She did Hate On Me, Is It The Way, Golden, Cross My Mind, Whatever, He Loves Me, Long Walk… and the list goes on and on, which still seemed like it wasn’t enough considering her effortless talent.
Jill has so many hits that it seemed like a teaser. Her voice so beautiful yet I wanted more… I’ll be honest, I wanted to hear her sing… Love Rain, Gettin In My Way, My Love, The Fact Is… there is so many that a 75 minute show surely can’t attest to her grandness in one show. I don’t think I’ll be able to see her full talent till I see her in concert at least 3 more times. Cleveland wants Jill to come back again and again. See clips from some of the concert goers who were there…
SIDEBAR …and if I can only take a moment to comment on her figure and fashion. LADIES Jill was BAD, I mean she looked sooo good. She even mentions her cardio and healthy lifestyle during the set. Being the real woman that she is, she surely is wearing her slim thickness very well. Yes I said “slim thickness” because you could tell that she was thick… well the size of a REAL women and well maintained. You could see a well toned figure underneath that couture and leggings… um yes I think I need to get into the gym!!! She wore the curves and muscle tone very well might I add.
Ok, moving on… so guess what, Shhhh- don’t tell nobody! Jill reveals that she will, “God Willing,” drop an album later this year and yes she shares anew song with us called “I Love You.” I am sure there are many songs named as such, so taboo, right? But when she opens her mouth to sing it… oh so sweet. Of course it is a love ballad and as we already know Jill has the words of expression that can transcend any situation a human being can experience when it comes to love and relationships. See a clip here…
oh and sorry for the tone deaf singing there… I was having too much fun in the moment!
I wish I could have gotten more but as you know this was given to Cleveland first and it’s for us only… well for now you need to buy your tickets in a city near you. I am so anticipating a new Jill Scott album!!!
Jill’s set was a hit, she gave Cleveland what they have been waiting for, for so long. Her albums surely do not do her live performance any justice. The soul and personality of Jill cannot be relayed on a prerecorded album. The fact that Jill did her runway walk, was pop lockin and doing the robot dance on stage, was as sassy as could be, broke out some stunna shades mid set and her vocal were untouchable tells me that this was only in part the talent and soul she possesses on this night!
Ok, on to the next… and we are all waiting to hear about, yes, MAXWELL. He has been out of the scene for ten years. Dropped his latest album the late summer of 2009, BLACK Summers Night, and did a mini tour last year which was not enough for the world. So you know he had to come back in 2010 to give his fans a bigger and better taste of what we’ve all been missing. And yes Cleveland was thee first in 2010 to experience his love. And let me make this clear… this concert was meant to stir up the love jones in all the concert goers. I mean, how can you put two of the most soulful genuine artists in the NEO SOUL genre together on tour and not expect the love and sexy to fill the atmosphere and when I say ‘fill the atmosphere,’ I am serious. In the middle of singing his song ‘Till The Cops Come Knocking’ He stops his band, pauses and says “Now thats what I’m talking about…” he points to a couple in center floor seats. “Now I love to see love” and there is a couple in the front row kissing like they are the only ones in the room. I mean Cleveland surely was not holding back when it comes to receiving the love and giving it!
SIDEBAR: At that very moment I wished I wasn’t single for the night. LOL!
The atmosphere was set and Maxwell hit the stage in a tailored silver suite… which didn’t stay on but I’ll get into that a little later… He grooves and moves like his stage is his private dance floor. I mean I’ve seen grown men dance but his groove is different. He snaps his finger, thrusts his hips and I’m not talking about some Ricky Martin cheesy dance… I’m talkin about that GROWN AND SEXY man dance. The kind of dance that make you wanna… well you know what I mean. He was dancing all over stage getting all the ladies hot and ensuring that every couple in the room was getting lucky that night. LOL!
How can you be so cold…
He slowed the show down with hit after hit… Till The Cops Come Knocking, Fistfull Of Tears, Lifetime, Fortunate, Whenever Wherever Whatever, Sumthin Sumthin, Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder), Stop The World… the list goes on and on… truly he did steal the rest of the show.
During his singing of Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder), Maxwell begins to take of his jacket then his tie and I could hear all the ladies in the crowd croon “sexy” at the site of him just taking something off. He could have taken off his shoe lace and ever woman in the room would have screamed for more. LOL! Oh and then he decides to take off… wait for it… nothing else. LOL! He did sweat off a storm with all the grooving he did on stage. He metions his new hair style to. Thanking his fans for allowing him to get away with a fade. Yes we remember him from a decade ago when he had a large afro… I like the new fade Max! Check out these pictures as well…
Mind you this is my first time seeing Max in concert and I was completely in awe of his performance. He claimed Cleveland as his home for the night and truely showed up and showed out! I am so mad that my battery died so I couldn’t get more pictures for you but when I say this was site to see I mean that as an understatement. This show was beyond any expectations. When he invited the ladies to come to the front of the stage the ladies ran to the front and he sung ballad after ballad. And this was only the beginning. Maxwell’s voice and stage presence really engulfed the Cavs Arena. There were so many moments when concert goers with one hand raised and the other on their head just shaking their head like it was too much to take in. Now if you go to a show and are so consumed by the sound of the soul then you know the show was unbelievable. A glass of wine couldn’t simmer me down from this music high! LOL!
Truly a pair like Maxwell and Jill Scott was a site to see especially for Cleveland I arrived at the early and with full anticipation. I met a few others that also were in love with the soul…
Excuse the side video we are still working out the kinks of UStream.
The show was truly phenomenal. It is going to be hard for any act to follow after this one- summer of 2010 is opened with the best concert ever!!! This summer will have many great ones so we will keep you updated and compare. If there was anything I would say that brought a damper to the night it was the empty seats! However, they were not empty all night. It was the many concert goers that showed up LATE!!! Clevelandaire’s were on slow timing because most of my section filled up their seat half way thru Jill Scotts performance. To have such a beautiful show disturbed by people looking for a seat was a shame but thats my two cents. I know in any other city I probably would be standing in line 1 hour before the doors open only to wait another hour before the show started, especially when seeing two grammy winners on stage at the same time!!! So seeing so many people come in so late to a high profile show was mind boggling to me… THIS WAS THE SEXIEST SHOW I’VE EVER SEEN! To bad some of y’all only saw half of it yet paid full price, LOL!
Any ways, I’ll keep you updated with exclusives all summer long for all the hottest events in CleveLAND! Please share your comments about the show or your love for Max and Jill in comments below.
