Las Vegas Mixtape v2: Diving Into the City’s Culinary Gems and Top-Shelf Entertainment

Track #5: Maxwell, Encore Theater, Wynn

It was joyous to see real-deal soul singer and songwriter Maxwell transform the Encore Theater at The Wynn into “Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite,” to borrow the title of his 1996 breakthrough “neo-soul” debut album. Still Maxwell’s best overall work, it merged classic R&B traditions with his bohemian Brooklyn vibes (he’s the son of a Haitian mom and Puerto Rican father).

On the final night of his three-show run, Maxwell was infectiously sensitive and suave, like a modern Al Green and Marvin Gaye. His astute band never failed to deliver the seductive and hypnotic grooves of romance-with-intelligence songs like “Ascension (“Don’t Ever Wonder”), “Get To Know Ya,” and “Sumthin’ Sumthin.’”

Maxwell hasn’t released a full-length album since 2016, choosing instead to roll out strong singles when he wants to. He belongs to a tradition of artists who impressively do it their own way, and Maxwell repeatedly thanked his devotees at the Encore for blessing him with his career.