I've been a Maxwell fan since 1996 but I didn't get to see him live in
concert til August & Septmenber of 99. I've been hooked on Maxwell's vibe
since the day I laid my eyes on him on BET in his "Til The Cops Come Knockin"
video. When I saw him for the first time all I could do was just stand real
close to my television saying "Oh my God, look at this beautiful man!" When
that video was over, I ran to my mom's room screaming, "His name is Maxwell!"
She looked at me and said, "Maxwell who?" From that day forward I knew I would
appreciate everything Maxwell gave us musicially. I truly appreciate that
Maxwell. Thank you!
My quest to see Maxwell in concert for the MaxwellLive99 tour began in May of
99. I was at my home babysitting my niece when I decided to go sit outside on
my front porch swing and listen to the radio. I turned on my radio and I hear
"DANCEWITME". I'm excited now because I love that song. When the song was
over I got an even better and bigger surprise, it was Maxwell himself
talking on the radio at V103 Oak Park Chicago! By this time I'm freakin out
all over the place! The radio station was only 10 minutes away from my house in
walking distance. I couldn't leave because I was babysitting and my niece
walks so slow. I didn't think to send him a faxed message or an e-mail to the
radio station because I don't have a computer. So I just listened to my baby's
sexy raspy voice while melting the whole time. He said that there will be a
summer tour and he was definitely coming to Chicago and he couldn't wait
because it was gonna be a party! After that radio interview I didn't hear
anything else about the tour until June. June 26 is when I bought my ticket (I
went to the concert alone). That day was a very hot Saturday. I tried to buy
my ticket online but I couldn't get through. The tickets went on sale at 10
am, at least thats what the radio stations said. I started calling and trying
the internet at 9:50 am that morning. By 11:30 I still had no Maxwell
tickets. I'm getting worried by this time, then my brother's girlfriend said
to me, "Alisa, let's go to Dominick's and get your ticket from TicketMaster."
I told her okay because I just knew I wasn't getting a good seat but I really
didn't care as long as I got to see my man!! We get to Dominick's and I get
to the TicketMaster and ask the lady if they still had tickets for the
Maxwell concert on August 23rd. The nice lady whispered to me, "if you want the
best seats then don't move from this spot because the tickets go onsale in 15
minutes." By this time it was 11:45. I didn't move an inch! Now I'm nervous
because my prayers were being answered. 11:55; the lady asked me how many
tickets did I want for the Maxwell concert and how much did I want to pay. I
told her I wanted the best seat in the house! I got row B seat 45 in the pit
section!!!!! I paid $80 for my ticket and would've paid more if I had to. I
was the first person in line to get Maxwell tickets! I was so happy I started
to cry! I ran out to the truck where my brother's girlfriend was waiting and
gave her a big hug!! I told her you just made my summer!!
My son and I spent about 4 weeks in Chesapeake, Va last summer (July 22 to
August 20) with my sister and her family. My plane was scheduled to leave
Newport News, Va airport August 20th but because the weather was so bad in
Atlanta (I had a layover there) our flight was cancelled. I'm cool because the
concert wasn't until Monday the 23rd. My son and I didn't make it home to
Chicago til the afternoon of the 21st. By this time I feel myself coming down
with a cold. When we got home we went straight to 6 Flag's Great America with
my brothers (we didn't even take our bags out of the car). By this time I was
feeling terrible but I was trying to fight it. By Monday, the day of the
concert I felt like I was dying and the weather was dark and very wet. I
bought my dress in Va so I just needed to get some shoes and some jewelry to
set it off. I spent all of Monday in the malls looking for shoes and jewelry
plus I was feeling so bad that I was moving slow. I had chills, my head felt
like it was going to explode, my glands were swollen, and my body was achy.
Didn't look like I was going anywhere that night. Yeah right! The concert
started at 7:30 and I didn't get home til 6 pm that evening. I was ok because
my ex said he would take me to the Arie Crown Theatre for the concert. So I
decided to call my ex to tell him what time to pick me up (6:30). Well, let me
tell you, he had a memory lapse and said he never told me he was taking me to
the Maxwell concert. Now I'm in a panic! He did that just to spite me. I
asked my brother's girlfriend if she would take me to the Arie Crown Theatre.
She did!
All the way to the concert I'm in pain and just crying away because of it.
Nothing I took for this cold seemed to be working for me. As we got closer to
the venue it seemed like everybody decided to come to the concert at the same
time because there was a traffic jam. I'm already missing the opening act by
this time and I hate to be late for something. But everybody had Maxwell booming
from their cars! I finally made it to the Arie Crown Theatre.
I was 45 minutes late and the comedian was telling a Maxwell joke when I walked
in. I prayed that she wouldn't crack any jokes on me 'cause I was in the first
rows and I was late. She didn't and the rest of her show was very funny! She
left the stage and the wait began for the beautiful Maxwell to grace us with
his beautiful and soulful energy! While I was waiting I kept thinking to
myself, "What is he going to be like on stage? Will he notice the beautiful
long stem red roses I had for him? Will I get to give him the roses and the
card I had for him? Will he notice me at all?' Well, this couple who sat next
to me admired the 2 roses I had for Maxwell. The man said to me, "I'll pay you
what ever you want if I could buy 1 of your pretty roses for my girl." He
said she wanted to give Maxwell something but they didn't have time to pick
up anything. I told him, "I don't want your money and I'll give you this rose
for your girlfriend." He said, "Thank you so much and when you go up there to
give Maxwell your rose I'll take a picture of you giving it to him." I told
him there are no carmeras allowed inside this venue and not to worry about me,
thanks away. I'm very nervous at this point because those questions were
still running through my mind. Then the lights went down! Then I heard "Embrya"
playing and the white sheets and lava lamps and smoke everywhere! Then I see
this shadow come out of nowhere and it's him!!! My Maxwell!!!!! Everybody is
screaming and yelling just showing him much love!!! I couldn't believe how
beautiful this man was in front of me. Believe it or not, I don't remember
feeling sick after he graced the stage!
He performed most of his beautiful songs and he chatted with us for a bit.
Remember I told you about the couple I gave one of Maxwell's roses to? Well,
the guy's girlfriend went up to the stage while Maxwell was talking to the
audience and right away his security stopped her. But good ole Maxwell
accepted the rose from her, hugged her and said, "Thank you very much, darlin'."
Her boyfriend kept telling me to go up there and I kept tellin him that it
wasn't time for me yet. He didn't understand so he kept on pushing me to go
but I wouldn't move. Once she came back to her seat her boyfriend said, "See,
you missed your chance to get to Maxwell." He did snap 2 pictures before
Maxwell's security came over and took his carmera. During the concert, I'm really
nervous and having second thoughts about going up to him and giving him this
rose and card I had for him. So I decided not to go at all. I kept thinking
about something my ex said to me to back in May which wasn't very nice. It
was in reference to Maxwell finding me attractive. Shame on me for
believeing what he said to me. Now I'm content with just seeing him sing and
dance his fine self across the stage. I was trying to make eye contact with
him so I could wave hello to him. When we actually made eye contact with each
other I waved hello to him not noticing that I waved with the hand I had the
rose and card in. He smiled at me and waved for me to come to the stage!!! I
looked around to make sure he meant me. The lady standing to my right said,
"Yes girl, he means you!" I waved back at him like, 'you talkin to me?' He
waved back like, 'yes, you, come here.' Oh my God! I'm freaking out big time now!
I was making my way to the stage when his security kinda blocked my way
because of the women behind the baracades trying to climb over because they
saw what had just happened to me. By the time I got to the stage, Maxwell was
saying, "Thank you! Chicago! I love you! Goodnight." I was so hurt by that. His
security told me not to leave because he was coming back and I could give him
my gift then. 10 minutes later Maxwell comes back to the stage singing
"Fortunate"!!!! The audience went crazy!!!!!!! He did the dance version too,
which I thought was great! After that he did a couple of encores and I'm
still waiting at the end of the stage hoping he would notice me again. He was
singing "I Need You Tonight" by Inxs and thats when it happened! I was
leaning on the stage when he walked over to me. I reached up to him with the
rose and the card in my hand as he reached down to grab it. He paused for
about 10 seconds to smell my the rose (which smelled beautiful) and he looked
at me and said "Thank you for the rose and the card, Beautiful" and he gave me
the prettiest smile I had ever seen in my life!!!!! All I could do was smile
back and throw him a kiss! The girls standing around me were grabbing me
saying, "Girl, Maxwell called you beautiful!" I told them I know what the man
said 'cause I heard him! Maxwell just laughed and continued with his last
encore. He held on to my rose and card for rest of the concert! When he left
the stage he was still holding them! I felt so special that night and I'm
still on Cloud 9 to this very day! I thank Maxwell for making me feel so
special that night because deep down inside and out I didn't feel special at
all. Thats all changed now! I have a whole new attitude about myself! I'm
acting like I know! :o) BTW: you know I had to call my ex and tell him what
Maxwell said to me...lol, he apologized to me for saying what he said and
told me, "Yes Alisa, you are beautiful."
Thank you for letting me share my first Maxwell experience with you! I always
feel good when I get to tell someone about my Maxwell experiences. I'm sorry
that this story is so long but it's true and this is how I needed tell my
story.
Take care! Be Blessed Always!