Maroon 5 Homecoming Concert: Adam Levine Shares Secrets Behind the Group's Biggest Hits

Posted on Oct 23rd 2012 10:45AM by Marc Cuenco

John Shearer

It was fitting that one of Los Angeles' most majestic landmarks, The Orpheum Theatre, hosted Maroon 5's homecoming show on Friday, October 19. Adam Levine and company stepped onto the stage dressed in head-to-toe white (a ritual the band calls "Friday night white") as the packed house stood up upon hearing the opening notes of "Payphone," the lead single off the Grammy Award-winning group's latest offering Overexposed. From the start, it was evident that Maroon 5 had plenty of their biggest hits in store for the ecstatic audience as part of the exclusive "Love the Journey" concert for Citi/AAdvantage cardmembers. Even more apparent was Levine's innate showmanship as he slithered and swayed across the Orpheum stage during "Makes Me Wonder" -- which was cleverly mashed-up with Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough."

Levine spoke to the crowd in between songs, regaling them with stories behind Maroon 5's biggest hits -- many of which were written in and about Levine's experiences in L.A. From the stage, Adam spoke about his laid-back days performing at UCLA parties, which spawned "Sunday Morning," and discovering love while living in Los Feliz -- the inspiration behind "Won't Go Home Without You." The charming frontman also revealed a dark moment when the band started out and butted heads with its record label, an experience that brought out Levine's angrier side, but also birthed Maroon 5's breakout hit "Harder To Breathe." The propulsive track featured guitarist James Valentine's solo, which later segued into another fan favorite "Wake Up Call."

Maroon 5 peppered in songs from Overexposed throughout it's nearly two-hour performance. The thumping beats of "Lucky Strike" and "The Man Who Never Lied" showcased drummer Matt Flynn and bassist Mickey Madden, while The Police-esque "One More Night" incited the enthusiastic crowd to chant "Yeah-yeah-yeah!" along with Levine. Often one to wear his heart on his tattooed sleeve, the frontman earnestly connected with the fans, even personally pointing to the ones screaming, "I love you!" at every opportunity. Levine took it all in and poured out his soul in return. As someone who has recently come into his own as a mentor on NBC's "The Voice" and actor on "American Horror Story: Asylum," Levine still looked most at ease performing on stage.

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Naturally, the group treated the crowd to an encore, which began with Levine and Valentine performing an acoustic version of "She Will Be Loved," the band's most successful ballad to date. The duo's stripped-down delivery of the song suited the historic venue best and proved to be the night's emotional highlight. From there, it was back to keeping the crowd pumped as the rest of Maroon 5 joined them for the upbeat "Stereo Hearts," which was originally recorded with Gym Class Heroes. A familiar whistle signaled the massive hit "Moves Like Jagger." Before starting the song, Levine asked the L.A. audience "Do you want it or not?" to which he received a thunderous "YES!" There really is no place like home.

Note: Tickets to Maroon 5's exclusive "Love the Journey" concert were provided to AOL by Citi.

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Elissa

Hey Marc! Great write-up. I have always had such a soft spot for Adam Levine and Maroon 5. I have never seen them live but it sounds like they are well connected with their fans and can give a great live show!

October 23 2012 at 1:24 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

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