So, you're headlining a concert and you open with your current, chart-topping single. As far as I'm concerned, there's only one place to go from there, and that's down.
I suspect Adam Levine and the boys from Maroon 5 did just that because they knew they'd lost the crowd to opening act Train, who had just blazed through an emotionally charged and fun-filled 90-minute set (more on them later).
But Maroon 5 didn't stop with Moves Like Jagger. They kept it coming with hit after hit after hit, almost as if reminding the crowd that as the band with the megahits they were the true headliner .
The sad thing is, what makes a concert enjoyable is hearing some of the lesser known fare -- the songs that maybe take on special meaning for the band. You get to learn a little more about the musicians on stage, what makes them tick. Ah, but to do that you'd actually have to interact with the crowd, and there was none of that on this night.
Musically, I have no problem with Maroon 5. They are adept musicians, although I couldn't tell if they wanted to be synth-pop or hard rock..... they routinely alternated between the two.
The issue I have is that Levine and the rest of the band have the personality of a glass of warm milk. And at a rock concert, that's never a good thing.
Aside from all the teenie boppers who, on this night, would have done anything to give it up for Levine, I think the crowd felt let down that it was almost this rush to pound through a set that was comprised of all their hits. In between songs, zero engagement with the audience, no banter, no talk of the tour or songwriting.
Maybe it didn't matter to many of those in the crowd who just wanted Maroon 5 to play the chart-toppers. I was hoping for a little more, but I came away with a better understanding of why critics hate them.
Now, on to the better part of the evening.
No doubt, Train's lead singer Patrick Monahan has some serious pipes -- and puts them on display quite brilliantly. Whether he's screaming the intro cover of Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love (which made you wonder if Robert Plant was actually in the building), or gently serenading the ladies to Marry Me as he meanders around the arena, Monahan and his mates kept the energy in the building at a high level all night long.
Their set was filled with all their hallmark hits, with the crowd joyously singing along. Monahan was constantly interactive and held the crowd in the palm of his hand all night (a favorite moment: the chorus line of girls he brought on stage to shake their bootie to She's On Fire).
Train may not have as many Top 10 hits as Maroon 5, but on this night -- and the rest of the tour, I suspect -- they showed they are superior musicians, but just as important, far and away they have a much, much better stage presence.
Oh, and something Maroon 5 will never have: personality.
Concert gets 5 stars: all 5 for Train.
