Maroon 5 thrill fans with memorable show

The UAE witnessed one of its largest music concerts on Friday as Maroon 5 wowed 17,000 fans at the new Coca-Cola Arena

The American pop band was the first musical act to perform at this indoor arena, which opened its doors to the public this month and has finally given the UAE a venue that is likely going to be in high demand among popular music artists and other shows.
Gates for the sold-out show opened at 6.30pm, but die-hard fans of the band waited outside in queues for nearly an hour, braving the intense humidity and high temperatures. Maroon 5 came on at about 8.50pm, kicking off one of the most anticipated concerts of the year with What Lovers Do. The lead singer, Adam Levine, was sporting a black jacket (which didn't stay on for long) and a pink muscle shirt underneath. He was wearing his hair in the style he usually does while performing - gelled back and super sleek. 
There were no gimmicks throughout the show. The band, nor the massive arena, needed over-the-top smoke or fire machines. The stage was set with breathtaking lighting that complemented the band's music and overall vibe of the concert. The first song was followed by some of the band's greatest hits, including Pay Phone, This Love, Misery, Sunday Morning, Animals and Cold. Fans sang along with these popular tunes as Levine also impressed them with his famous high-pitched vocals. He also wowed the crowed with his electric guitar solos. The lead guitarist, James Valentine, also took it to another level with his guitar solos. At one point, both he and Levine made jaws drop with their electric guitar duo performance. The band's keyboard player, PJ Morton, also got a chance to shine with his quick solo, playing some funky, but catchy, musical notes. 
Levine, who is also well-known for being a judge on reality TV show The Voice, followed the solos with some other great hits, including Maps, Harder to Breathe, Wait, Makes Me Wonder and, of course, Moves Like Jagger. 
The crowd also cheered, danced and sang along to their recent hit Girls Like You. The music video of this song featured some of the biggest female stars, including Gal Gadot, Jennifer Lopez, Ellen Degeneres, Cardi B, Sarah Silverman, Lilly Singh and Camila Cabello, among others. They performed some of their classics, such as She Will Be Loved and Sugar. The band did nearly 20 songs, most in shortened versions, during their one-hour and 45-minute show. 
Towards the end of the concert, Levine finally interacted with the audience, saying that he's had a "strange pain" in his stomach while on stage. 
"I feel a strange pain in my stomach, I don't know if you saw me grabbing my stomach. That's not a cool new dance move, it's an intense pain that I'm still kind of feeling. I'm sure I'll be fine, don't worry. But, it sucks. I haven't been bouncing, running, around. I want you to know it's not because I don't have any enthusiasm... I'm in a little bit of pain and it's affecting the way I'm singing too. I'm not able to hit all of those notes. I want to be honest with you guys, I think that's important," he said. 
Nevertheless, the iconic band managed to impress the crowd. Their performance at the new Coca-Cola Arena most likely has left fans with great expectations of upcoming shows at this venue. 
Upcoming gigs
The summer of gigs continues with double Brit Award winners and one of the world's hottest live acts, The 1975 are confirmed to play at Coca-Cola Arena on August 14 before Westlife (August 29) and Tony Robbins (September 3) take to Coca-Cola Arena's stage. 
 

sarwat@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai