With only two albums to its name, it seemed a bit ambitious for Maroon 5 to play at the looming TD Banknorth Garden on its latest tour. However, on Monday night, fans of the LA-based group came out in droves to catch the soft-rock poppers.
With only a few sections in the nosebleeds vacant, Maroon 5 attracted a large crowd as diverse as Walt Disney World. There were older attendees who came to enjoy the show, parental units chaperoning the younger crowd and gaggles of drunken college girls. Let’s not forget to mention the surprising amount of “bros” in their Boston caps who probably would claim that they were there to escort a female companion. Yeah, right.
As soon as the band took the stage promptly at 9, it was impossible to deny that frontman Adam Levine oozed sex appeal that attracted girls and guys alike.
With his scruffy look, Levine worked the giant, “M”-shaped stage and showcased his impressive vocals and surprising guitar skills. Levine displayed genuine talent and GQ-esque looks that the females drooled over and men couldn’t help but admire.
Seconds into the set-opener, “If I Never See Your Face Again,” the audience began dancing and bopping along, a trend that continued for nearly the entire concert.
The band got its summer hit, the funk-fused “Makes Me Wonder,” out of the way early before treating the audience to a high-energy rendition of their breakout hit, “Harder To Breathe.”
Even while running and busting out the occasional dance move (come on, Adam, we know there are more Timberlake moves in you waiting to come out), Levine’s voice rarely faltered.
Other highlights included “Shiver,” a fan-favorite from Songs About Jane and the irresistible “This Love.” Levine also showcased his vocal acrobats on “Secret,” during which he initiated an “ay-oh” call and response session, paying homage to The Police.
The only downfall was the somewhat lackluster encore. Aside from the It Won’t Be Soon Before standout “Little of Your Time,” the band was left to play a stripped-down version of “She Will Be Loved” and “Sweetest Goodbye.”
While remaining members James Valentine (guitar), Jesse Carmichael (keys), Mickey Madden (bass) and Matt Flynn (drums) didn’t come out of the woodwork, the sparsely positioned band gave an extremely tight, energetic performance that held its own against Levine’s natural stage presence.
With plenty of inoffensive yet ridiculously catchy music, Maroon 5 is one of those bands that has a record to suit the pickiest of ears, and it shows by their varied fanbase.
