Maroon 5
Article by Brittany Ormiston
If you are looking for a sign to take a day off, this is it. Taking care of yourself, especially your mental health, is essential. Saturday August 21st was a mental health day for us. We decided to take the day off, do our hair and makeup, and put on outfits that made us feel like the bad bitches we are. That same day we bought tickets to the Maroon 5 and Blackbear concert on a whim. You only live once right? After eating Chipotle for dinner and purchasing alcoholic beverages at the amphitheater, we were ready for an unforgettable night. We walked up the steep hill to the back of the lawn section, but still managed to be directly in the middle of the stage. Screaming the lyrics along with Blackbear and dancing like crazy for the entire set was an out-of-body experience and still doesn’t feel real. Hearing ‘IDFC’ live after being fans for 6 years was such a surreal moment because we didn’t expect him to play that specific track. At one point during Blackbear’s set, he gave us a shout out for popping off and hyping him up despite being all the way in the back. Don’t be afraid to be yourself at concerts and enjoy every moment to the fullest. Artists appreciate the love and they vibe off of the fans’ energy as well.
Now moving onto the headliner. Maroon 5 is easily considered one of the most popular pop-rock bands of all time. They have been on our bucket list to see in concert for many years. What’s crazy is Maroon 5 has been around since the early 2000s, and the fans are the main reason for that. Adam Levine, the lead singer, said “Maroon 5 wouldn’t be where they are today without the fans”. The band’s set was filled with old tracks we still knew the words to even after all of this time. As if we weren’t surprised enough, the instrumentals that accompanied all of the old tracks were absolutely unreal. We definitely have an even bigger appreciation for Maroon 5’s discography after hearing those. During the encore, Adam shared a little backstory behind one of the band’s most well-known tracks. Adam and James (lead guitarist) went to their band rehearsal with ‘She Will Be Loved’ on a burnt CD and played it. Adam said, “I don’t care what other songs we have, this song is the most special song we ever have. And this song is going to make us big.” Adam knew what he was talking about because even 20 years later the crowds are still singing in unison the lyric ‘look for the girl with the broken smile, ask her if she wants to stay a while, and she will be loved’. Music is timeless and universal, and Maroon 5’s concert was the perfect example.
