“If stage fright was a six at a place where nobody even knows who I am, this is at… I don’t know… 50,000.” It’s a few hours before Maxwell is set to take the stage at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, and this is how the soulful, Grammy-award winning singer describes his nerves. “I’m from Brooklyn—I don’t want nobody talking mess about me after I get on stage,” he tells Vogue. “You want to make them proud, but they’re going to let you know if it ain’t poppin’. It’s Brooklyn. They don’t care.”
Having been in attendance, we can confirm that the New York stop of Maxwell: The Serenade Tour was poppin’—Maxwell, the consummate entertainer performing hit after hit; enthused fans moved to tears when the show ended with “Pretty Wings.” Beforehand, though, Maxwell was reflecting on the tour thus far and preparing for the night ahead.
“I’ve had some exceptional, unexpected adventures,” he says of his latest string of performances, which have taken him everywhere from Paris and Rotterdam to Miami and Detroit. “At the end of it all, it’s about the audience, and they’re nothing short of a vibe.” That energy from the crowd, he says, is the antidote to any pre-show reservations. Though Maxwell has spent nearly three decades performing for sizable crowds—his Urban Hang Suite Tour kicked off in 1996—“I don’t really feel that comfortable on stage,” he admits. “But when I know that I’m working toward making the people that came to see me and the band happy, that’s kind of where my joy comes from. I can overlook my discomfort for the satisfaction of those who have attended, for sure.”
Ahead of his Brooklyn show, Maxwell spent the morning juicing, worked on some music, then took a nap. Once rested, he went into grooming and styling, opting for his signature straight-back cornrows and suiting pieces from the likes of McQueen, Saint Laurent, and Gucci. “I’m just trying to keep it really elegant,” he says of his looks for the night. “I don’t think I can be out here just wearing anything at this point. I got to look like I’ve grown up, and I know what I like, and what suits me best.” He also knows what he can move in, should he ever be compelled to break out into the dances that have gone viral, setting the internet ablaze with reactions to the nimbleness of his knees. “Listen, if you take yourself too seriously, you can’t grow,” he says. “For me, I’ll take all the jokes, as long as I’m being who I am.”
Though there is always a party to go to in NYC, following his show, Maxwell was content to head home. “I used to be in these streets, but I’m not for these streets no more,” he says. “I have elevated myself to being inside—in the home, where I value centered, consistent, unconditional love. These streets only want you for whatever you can offer them; I’m kind of leaning into the unconditional love zone right now.” Performing on stage then relaxing at home? “I wouldn’t trade it,” Maxwell says. “It’s just the best life.”
Ahead, a look at how Maxwell prepared to perform in Brooklyn.