It’s safe to say 2024 was an unparalleled year for Maximiano Janairo. The Milwaukee-based singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and namesake of Maximiano garnered heaps of well-deserved praise from the release of their formal debut album, The Real Truth. The groundbreaking year also found Maximiano releasing a live album, amassing some impressive support slots, touring sporadically, performing at some notable local festivals, and earning a variety of other artistic opportunities along the way.
In the waning weeks of their most accomplished year to date, Maximiano was also tapped to serve as the opener for Buffalo Gospel’s annual homecoming concert. The Saturday, November 23 show took place at Vivarium and it found Maximiano setting the tone with a memorable performance that featured accompaniment from a stacked cast of local musicians. We were in attendance and we can confidently say it ruled. Whether you missed it or you were there and you want to hear it all over again, you’re in luck because the show was recorded.
Today, Maximiano is releasing recordings from that late 2024 performance in the form of a live album that’s (naturally) called Live At The Vivarium. The seven-track release features six songs from that Vivarium set in which Maximiano is joined on stage by the likes of Ellie Jackson, Cheston Van Huss, Will Hansen, Nick Lang, Tori Yocum, and Michelle Zheng for rousing in-person renditions of material primarily off The Real Truth.
There’s also a bonus live recording of “Jordan Year,” which was captured during Maximiano’s August 1, 2024 show at Cactus Club. Ian Olvera and Mark Sullivan engineered the Vivarium concert, then Maximiano mastered all of the recordings. Live At The Vivarium is currently available on Bandcamp for a digital download price of $10. The release precedes a string of Maximiano gigs this weekend, including Bonfire Music Festival in Yuba on Friday, a Summer Soulstice appearance on Saturday, and a set at Lakefront Festival Of Art on Sunday.
