|
|
Maroon 5 - Kansas City - 7/27/04 - Verizon AmphitheaterAug 01 '04 Write an essay on this topic.
Popular Products in Music
The Bottom Line Maroon 5 puts on a good show.
Remember those guys that used to live in that trailer down the street from you? …The grungy looking guys with tattoos and 3-week untrimmed beards. You had to remind yourself not to stereotype when you saw them. …You drove by their party one night and they were seeing who could pee the farthest off their roof. Have I refreshed your memory yet? Well, those guys showed up opening for John Mayer last night under the stage name, Maroon 5. The five of them sauntered out on to the stage. Their bass player, Mickey Madden, came out sporting a nasty looking beard, a Lakers jersey, and flip-flops. Next to him was their lead singer, Adam Levine. He adjusted his wife-beater tee shirt, shouldered his white (and pointy) electric guitar, and got ready to play. The third part of their frontline threesome was their lead guitar player, James Valentine, who I was lucky to catch at a different venue the night before helping O.A.R. out with a song. Behind those three, the stage had been raised about four feet. The organ player and drummer headed up there for the rest of the night. Maroon 5’s lead singer and their lead guitar player would occasionally visit them up there during the course of their set. Soon everyone was plugged in and ready to play, and away they went. If you’ve never heard Maroon 5 before you’re missing out on some catchy music. It’s poppy stuff, perfect for your Justin Timberlake / Britney Spears playing local radio channel. But, in between the guiltily irresistible pop flavors you have pieces of funk and soul, and maybe even a little blues. It’s this combination that makes Maroon 5 a surefire hit in my opinion. If they can make me enjoy their music…a guy who at the least is cynical about 90% of the pop music played on the radio, I don’t see how anybody couldn’t fall victim to their catchy tunes. In concert Maroon 5 played pretty much their whole album. It was pretty funky at times, soulful at others, and toward the end it was starting to rock. James Valentine is anything but shabby at the guitar and it wasn’t until the last two songs that he was really allowed to turn loose with several guitar solos. Until the end the band had stayed pretty close to the album versions of their songs. For the most part, each song led into the next with little talking in between. This was a good thing, because it caused the energy to stay high for the whole hour they were on stage. The show seemed to really start picking up about halfway through after they played This Love. (...Possibly my favorite Maroon 5 song, so, maybe that affected my judgment.) At that point the energy level seemed to move up a couple notches. Soon to follow (two songs, if I remember right) they played their radio hit Harder To Breathe. This one got the crowd jumping around and singing along. Two songs and a couple of guitar solos later they were finished. The concert was nothing to complain about, the members of Maroon 5 have a great stage present and really seem like they’re having a lot of fun as they play. I think the fact that they were the opening act affected their show a little. The improvising at the end had me wanting more. They were just getting going as they had to leave for John Mayer. Get these guys in a club as the headlining act and I’ll bet you’re in for a really good time. They have the song repertoire to really get the placing hopping and the energy to lead the way. One side note, although the concert I was at didn’t have anything I felt was offensive, I’ve read reviews where they’ve used some rough language from stage as well as sang some pretty dirty songs (their album isn’t super clean to begin with). So, don’t say I didn’t warn you if you do see them at a club. I was wondering if they maybe had to keep things toned down for the John Mayer crowd. The show I saw them at was great, though. It may have been a little too much “by the book”…the songs sounded just like the album. But, they had to finish by a certain time since they were an opening act, so I can’t discredit them too much for that. I’d definitely give them a shot if they ever come to your neck of the woods.  |
| Read all comments (3)|Write your own comment |
|
Ads by Google
|
by starcollector
![Jersey Boys [Original Broadway Cast Recording] by Original Broadway Cast Reviews](http://di2.shopping.com/images/pi/95/a4/8a/2006752046-100x100-0-0.jpg?p=p8.68d252107a25d22feaf5&a=2&c=1&l=8071320&t=120603114459&r=1)
