Maroon 5 packs a punch live

This week, my spouse surprised me with great tickets to see Maroon 5 in concert. I'm not a massive fan, but I definitely needed a fun night out, and this fit the bill perfectly. I am among the throngs of female fans who think M5 front man Adam Levine is a gorgeous, talented man, so why not? How bad could it be?

Not bad at all. In fact, I had a blast. Maroon 5 is the perfect blend of pop rock and the band puts on an impressive, very well produced live show. Seeing M5 in Birmingham was a treat, in part because the band has history in the city. Many, many years ago, Adam Levine and several current band mates played in "the Ham" at a tiny local bar called The Nick. Levine actually mentioned this during the show, noting that at the time (1997), he and the other members of Kara's Flowers weren't even old enough to order drinks (he was 18).

Not surprisingly, the locals gave Maroon 5 an enthusiastic welcome, singing along with some of the band's biggest hits. The concert opener, "Payphone," is one of three number one singles from the band's latest album, Overexposed. In fact, this week, "Daylight" went to the top of the charts, making Maroon 5 the first band with a trio of #1 pop songs from the same album since Ace of Base did it in 1994 with The Sign. That is impressive, and it just highlights Maroon 5's crazy popularity right now. I think this is the first time I've ever seen a band at the exact height of their fame. It was all rather exciting.

Adam Levine, in particular, is having one heck of an awesome career run. Let's see: He fronts a hugely successful pop band, stars on one of the top reality talent shows on TV (The Voice) and has a budding career in acting, with roles in American Horror Story: Asylum and the upcoming drama Can a Song Save Your Life? with Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo. To say the man has star power right now is a huge understatement.

Back to the concert: It was incredibly smooth. If I have any major criticism, it's that the show was almost too smooth. I like my music "dirty" for the most part. I'm perfectly willing to overlook imperfections if a band is in a groove. Maroon 5 got into a groove and stayed there, without flinching. It was honestly the most well produced show I think I've ever seen. From "Payphone," to other hits like "Harder to Breathe," "This Love," "Sunday Morning," "She Will Be Loved" and, finally, "Moves Like Jagger," Levine and his band did not miss a single beat.

The show itself featured some pretty remarkable effects, particularly the lights and the HD screens. We were about 10 rows back from the main stage, and at times the lights were actually blinding. It was nice, though, to be that close and to finally see what all the Adam Levine fuss is all about. The guy oozes hotness (and knows it). He does have a fantastic voice that's perfectly suited for pop.  

Would I go see Maroon 5 again? Probably so, if the tickets weren't too pricey. If you are a huge fan of the band and/or pop music in general, the live show is worth it. As I said before, I'm far more into rock, but even I acknowledge that pop has its place in music history, and right now, Maroon 5 is making it.

Photos courtesy of Laurie P.