Maroon 5 matches crowd energy, love in one-night concert

Photo from Araneta Center facebook page

MANILA, Philippines – “You guys have so much love,” said the sizzling Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine which drove the at least 15,000-screaming crowd wild at the very much packed Smart Araneta Coliseum Tuesday.

Coming from South Korea for their Overexposed World Tour, the Grammy-winning American pop rock band’s Manila leg was their third time here.

Overexposed is the fourth studio album of the band released in June, with a world tour which kicked off in South America.

“We appreciate it so much. Thank you,” he added, driving more cheers during the encore of the sold out concert.

Tickets to the concert were so much sought for that it was sold out as soon as they were out, prompting the Araneta to issue more Standing Room tickets.

Hours before the show, Levine described Filipino fans in his Twitter account as the “most energetic and enthusiastic.”

“Good morning Manila! Home of the most energetic, enthusiastic @maroon5 fans on earth! #OVEREXPOSEDWORLDTOUR!!!,” he tweeted.

The one and a half hour, one night show was filled with high energy from start to end.

A few minutes after the front act performed, the crowd went hysterical when the sound of a telephone ringing was heard at the venue shortly after the lights went out, signaling the band’s first song, Payphone. It is the carrier single of their latest album.

The band’s live music had the same quality of a recording, only filled with a thousand times more energy. Levine’s live singing voice also sounded just as good as in the band’s albums.

Photo from Araneta Center facebook page

In between songs from Overexposed, the band performed their previous hits such as Sunday Morning, This Love, and Misery. The songs go way back from their first studio album in 2002, Songs About Jane.

The rest of the band members were given their own 15-minutes of fame when Levine introduced them , allowing everyone to showcase their musical talents.

Levine did not only sing but played the guitar and a bit of drums as well.

But sorry ladies, the lead vocalist, venerated as a sex symbol, did not take his shirt off. He did strum his guitar dirty, though.

The band also played acoustic during the encore with She Will Be Loved, which Levine dedicated to the ladies in the audience that night.

Thousands of elated fans sang to every word throughout the show, taking pictures and recording every moment. The audience held on their glow sticks, causing a sea of lights.

The band also covered Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Don’t Forget Me, Michael Jackson’s Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough, The White Stripes’ Seven Nations Army, The Human League’s Don’t You Want Me and a few parts from Justin Timberlake’s Sexy Back.

In their final song, the band played the disco tune Moves Like Jagger, one of their hit songs in 2011 collaborated with American singer and song writer Christina Aguilera.

The song came withj a twist, though, as the band mixed a short recording of the latest South Korea dance craze Gangnam Style in the intro, thrilling the charmed crowd towards the end.