Maroon 5 Rocks the IZOD Center

(The Verge) – A Saturday night, good music, and Adam Levine?  Sign me up!  This is what I looked forward to for over 4 months when I bought tickets to see Maroon 5 on February 23^rd.  The concert for their album Overexposed was taking place in East Rutherford, New Jersey at the IZOD Center and I could not be more excited.  Getting these two tickets was not an easy task.  I had to wake up at 9:30 on a Saturday morning, refresh my screen constantly when Ticketmaster told me that they were sold out, and had to beg my mom to pay for our tickets.  At that point, I earned them!  And after fighting these elements, two tickets to see Owl City, Neon Trees, and Maroon 5 were mine.
Maroon 5 has been playing through our speakers for over ten years now.  However, it has been within the past few years that they have really become a worldwide sensation.  With songs like Moves Like Jagger and Daylight, it is pretty difficult not to become a fan of this pop rock band.  Front man, Adam Levine, has become particularly popular with the female fans.  With tattoos, a leather jacket, and a voice of perfection, it is easy to see why.
Butterflies filled my stomach the hours leading up to the concert.  I felt like I was about to audition to be on The Voice or something.  Maroon 5 was my favorite band in the whole world and knowing that I would be seeing them in person for a second time was incredible.  I was aware of how many people wish they could have gotten tickets and I felt very lucky to be one of the 15,000 people who would be seeing them that night.
At 8 p.m. Owl City took the stage.  Most popularly known for their hits Fireflies and Good Time featuring Carly Rae Jepsen, they were an entertaining opening act.  Most people hadn’t taken their seats yet and I have to give props to lead singer, Adam Young, for getting the crowd going.  For a guy that had just gotten off of the doctor ordered voice rest, Adam sounded really good live.  The 25 minutes that Owl Citywas on stage creped by to make way for the next act.

After about a half an hour of switching set pieces and instruments, Neon Trees had our attention.  Most people have heard Animal or Everybody Talks on the radio.  These popular songs and more played for nearly a half an hour and built the anticipation for the main act.  Tyler Glenn, the lead singer, danced and jumped on stage and I could only think about how he would need a nap after all of the energy he exuded.  Tyler, along with the other band members, were great as well.  It was nice to see that the open acts actually had talent.
It was already 9:30 p.m. and I knew that Maroon 5 wouldn’t grace my presence until ten.  I sat in my seat anxiously as the people in my surrounding area made final dashes to the bathroom and to refill their drinks.  I had already seen Maroon 5 in concert in the summer of 2010 and I knew how amazing they were in person.  A group of children meeting Santa Claus for the first time couldn’t beat my excitement for them to come out.  A lot of people, especially girls, claim that they like Maroon 5 because Adam Levine is so good looking.  First of all, I’m not blind.  Of course I know he’s good looking!  But the reason that I love this band so much is because they have genuine music.  It’s not like the studio produced fake stuff that clogs the radio.  The members of Maroon 5 all contribute to the melodies and lyrics that appear in their songs.  It comes from the heart and isn’t conformed to what Hollywood thinks it should be.  I guess that I got lost in my thoughts because before I knew it, the lights began to dim and I knew that this was it.  Showtime.
The crowd roared as the arena got darker and at this point I would be lucky if I didn’t faint from excitement.  It’s a good thing that I warned friends and family that they may hear my cheering from miles away because I was probably the loudest person at that concert.  A sheer white fabric was the focus on the stage and all eyes were glaring as we waited for Maroon 5 to make their entrance.  Suddenly, a telephone ring filled the stadium.  It rang again and again and again.  Then a woman’s voice took over, “I’m sorry, your call cannot be completed as dialed.  Please check the number and dial again.”  I knew this meant that Payphone would be their opening song.  You may think that I’m a good guesser, but really, I checked the set list several times before the concert.  Hey, I told you that they were my favorite band!  “Maroon 5” projected onto the sheer white fabric and the shadow of 5 people could be seen.  As the music began, that sheer white fabric was pulled from ceiling cables and revealed the very band that all 15,000 of us were there to see.
The stage was in the shape of an ‘M’ so that Adam Levine and guitarist, James Valentine, could move closer to their fans.  Lights and lasers flashed to create a fun atmosphere and it was nearly impossible not to get out of your seat to dance.  A smile didn’t leave my face for the entire hour and a half that Maroon 5 was on stage.  I wasn’t paying attention to anyone around me and I definitely wasn’t answering my text messages.  Maroon 5 had my undivided attention.

To put it simply, the show was flawless.  Even though this tour was to feature their latest CD, Maroon 5 incorporated some of their most popular hits that were traced back to their first album.  You may know some of their older songs, Sunday Morning, This Love, and If I Never See Your Face Again.  They were just a few of the featured songs that were played.  Off of their new album Overexposed, Maroon 5 performed Lucky Strike, Love Somebody, and a handful of others.  Out of all of these featured songs, I nearly had a heart attack when they played Wipe Your Eyes, which is a favorite of mine off of their new CD.  I took a video of each song and I’m proud to say that I knew every single one.
The finale blew the crowd away when the tune of Moves Like Jagger began.  I pushed my mom out of her seat and demanded that she dance with me for their final song.  A part of me was sad because I knew that it was almost all over.  However, a bigger part of me knew that I would remember this forever.  It wasn’t about the lights and lasers or Adam Levine’s looks.  In that moment, all that mattered was that I was in the same room as my favorite band in the whole wide world.  They were playing the music that I worshipped for years.  It was the music that brightened my spirit on the worst days.  It was the voice that I would sing along with in my car everywhere that I went.  The beats that I would air drum to because they were so familiar.  I was filled with the feeling of pure bliss and I was so thankful for that moment.
All I can say now is that I would do anything to attend that concert again for just One More Night.