Adam Levine and his bandmates were clearly enjoying themselves on stage as they performed both their classic and latest hits at their recent gig at the SM Mall of Asia.
Maroon 5 opened the show with Animals from their 2014 album V, followed by One More Night and This Love.
Adam jumped, clapped his hands, and jammed with lead guitarist James Valentine while performing tracks like Harder to Breathe, Lucky Strike and Sunday Morning.
They even played covers, including Gym Class Heroes’ Stereo Hearts, Prince’s I Wanna Be Your Lover, and PJ Morton’s Heavy.
Adam hyped up the enthusiastic crowd by chanting, “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” which the audience echoed back before he smoothly transitioned into another hit, Payphone.
“Oh my goodness, I think it’s time for a group hug,” he told the crowd, initiating a hug gesture.
Before singing Sunday Morning, he flattered the Filipino fans, saying, “I know the Philippines loves music. You guys are the most musical, wonderful people, and that’s why we love to come here so much. ‘Cause you sing with us, and you experience the same joy that we experience when we play.”
Adam carried the mic stand with him, walked toward the center of the stage to get closer to the audience, and performed Makes Me Wonder and Maps.
That night, they made sure to honor the important people in our lives who have passed, as conveyed in the lyrics of Memories:
“Toast to the ones here today / Toast to the ones that we lost on the way / ‘Cause the drinks bring back all the memories / And the memories bring back, memories bring back you.”
Adam introduced the song with heartfelt words: “This is a very important song today, and honestly, we love singing this song every night. For each and every one of you, this song means something totally different. And I think you are lucky to have a song like that, you know what I mean? It doesn’t mean the same thing to any one individual.
“We’ve all lost somebody before. This song is very special to us, and we love it when you sing it with us. So please, please sing it with us. Can you do that?”
It was an easy request for the crowd, who turned on their phone flashlights, creating a sea of light as they sang along.
A Maroon 5 concert wouldn’t be complete without Adam’s signature sexy moves, especially during Moves Like Jagger. For Don’t Wanna Know, he blew kisses to the audience before crooning the song.
The band briefly exited the stage before returning with a stripped-down version of She Will Be Loved for the first few verses.
“Are you guys doing alright? I think this is my favorite song to sing,” Adam said before performing the track from their 2002 debut album, Songs About Jane. The heartfelt lyrics of She Will Be Loved, which Adam co-wrote with James, reminded fans:
“It’s not always rainbows and butterflies / It’s compromise that moves us along.”
Maroon 5 capped off the night with Girls Like You and the sweetest parting song, Sugar.
The sold-out Manila show, part of Maroon 5’s Asia Tour, was presented by Live Nation Philippines and co-presented by the Tourism Promotions Board and the Department of Tourism.
DJ Mailbox and American alternative rock band Culture Wars served as the front acts.