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Maroon 5 at MSG

Marisa Anziano

Copy Editor

On Saturday, February 17, Maroon 5’s lead singer Adam Levine, guitarist James Valentine, bassist Mickey Madden, drum- mer Matt Flynn and keyboardist PJ Morton performed for a sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Excite- ment surged through the arena even before the doors opened at 7 p.m. As the audience waited in line, I overheard fans sharing sto- ries of how much they love the band and how the band has changed their lives.

One such story stemmed from a woman named Victoria Ruvolo who people may remember as the woman who was struck by a 20-pound frozen turkey in Lake Ronkonk- oma, Long Island on November 13, 2004. Part of the rehabilitation after her accident was music therapy, which included Maroon 5’s hit song, “She Will Be Loved.” Since then, she has had an emotional connection with the band’s music and has seen them in concert five times.

According to Maroon 5 guitarist James Valentine, the band’s Overexposed tour “is definitely going to be Maroon 5’s biggest tour.” That point was evident from the mo- ment the tour’s opening act, alternative rock band Neon Trees, took the stage with hits like “Everybody Talks” and “Animal” to name a few. The band even covered Human League’s well-known tune “Don’t You Want Me.” The killer set courtesy of Neon Trees definitely made up for the other opening act, Owl City, cancelling last minute due to illness.

Suddenly, the arena went dark and the distant sound of a phone ringing emanated from the speakers. The crowd roared as Ma- roon 5 hit the stage and kicked off the concert with hit song “Payphone.” The rest of the setlist included old favorites from the band’s first album, Songs About Jane, like “This Love” and “Harder to Breathe” mixed with songs from the band’s new album Overex- posed, like “Love Somebody” and “Daylight.”

Maroon 5 had the audience in the palm of its hand from the very first bars of “Pay- phone” to the last of “Moves Like Jagger.” The audience featured a wide variety of ages, proving that Maroon 5 appeals to many gen- erations and music genres. The 90-minute set contained a seamless blend of pop rock up-tempo numbers to heartfelt ballads. This is the eighth Maroon 5 concert I have been to and I honestly believe that this was the best one yet.

Adam Levine, who has skyrocketed to fame recently thanks to being a judge on NBC’s music competition show “The Voice,” reflected on the band’s rise to success by continually thanking the fans. “Ladies and gentlemen, it is unbelievable to be here at Madison Square Garden! We are a grateful bunch,” said Levine. “Every legendary act has played in this building. We are blown away and so thankful. We appreciate your love and for standing by us this entire time. Thank you so much in advance, we love you.”

The North American leg of the Over- exposed Tour continues now through April 26, 2013, ending in New Orleans. For more information, fans may visit www.ticketmaster. com or www.maroon5.com.

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