For their sixth time in Thailand, Grammy-Award-winning pop-rock band Maroon 5 took to the stage at The Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok on Saturday and worked their magic through a 20-song setlist.
DJ Mr Mailbox warmed the crowd up with his live set and, had the weather been kinder, more people would have gotten into the groove with him. Most of the audience definitely saved their energy for Maroon 5, who kicked off their concert with Moves Like Jagger, bringing the fans to their feet and singing along enthusiastically. The band wasted no time performing This Love (which ended with a fantastic guitar solo by frontman Adam Levine), Stereo Hearts, One More Night and Animals nonstop.
Maroon 5's frontman Adam Levine.
The audience got a breather with the mid-tempo groove of Love Some Body, What Lovers Do, Makes Me Wonder and Wait before the high-energy vibe returned with Maps and Harder to Breathe. The concert quieted down when frontman Adam Levine, along with two other members James Valentine and Jesse Charmichael, performed an acoustic version of Payphone.
Jesse Carmichael, keyboardist and rhythm guitarist for Maroon 5.
The mood shifted into high gear again with Don't Wanna Know and Cold before they took the fans all the way back to their first album with Sunday Morning, which ended with an awe-inspiring guitar solo by Valentine, before Girls Like You was performed as a send-off. The backdrop videos complemented the performance so far with their vibrancy and stunning visuals, and for Girls Like You, the video shifted back and forth between its music video and the performance on the stage and that was how rapper Cardi B joined Maroon 5, albeit not in person.
After a short break, the band returned for an encore with four more songs. The show got back into high gear again with Daylight before they performed a stripped-down but touching rendition of Memories. Perhaps the biggest highlight of the night is an extended version of She Will Be Loved which began as an acoustic version by Levine and Valentine in tow as the singalong reverberated throughout the stadium. Quite a magical moment. The performance then transitioned into the original version of the song much to the fans' delight. Having complained about how warm the weather was earlier, Levine took his top off at the end of the song just before the lights went off, sending the crowd into a screaming frenzy.
James Valentine, lead guitarist for Maroon 5.
Levine returned shirtless and covered in a mélange of tattoos, the same one that eclipsed their Super Bowl halftime show, to perform Sugar before Maroon 5 took a bow, concluding a memorable night.
Levine, who appeared to be in high spirits, was definitely the MVP for keeping the high energy going throughout the night despite not being at his best vocally at times while Valentine came second for his sensational guitar solos.
Their current tour continues until next July, ending in Europe.
Photos courtesy of Live Nation Tero.
