MANILA, Philippines — Pop-rock band Maroon 5 praised the singing abilities of Filipinos as the musical act visited the Philippines for a fourth time.
The Manila leg was the very first stop of the band's self-titled Asia Tour, taking place in the Mall of Asia Arena last January which is coincidentally the same venue Maroon 5 performed each time in the past.
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This fourth show — co-presented by Live Nation Philippines, Tourism Promotions Board and the Department of Tourism — was especially significant as fans flocked to fill out the arena for a sold-out concert.
The first opening act, American alternative-rock band Culture Wars, promptly started with a variety of original tracks.
Lead vocalist Alex Dugan noted that they were just in the Philippines late last year as the opening act for LANY, and by the end Dugan took off his jacket to reveal his "I love Cebu" shirt (Cebu being one of the places both bands performed).
The other second act DJ Mailbox kept the energy up with mixes of popular songs including "Uptown Funk," "Bad Habits," "Don't Stop Now," "Standing Next to You," "Espresso," "24K Magic," "Yeah," "APT," and "Blinding Lights."
Maroon 5 officially kicked off their set with "Animals." "How are we doing, Manila?" lead singer Adam Levine shouted as he got his guitar.
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After following up with "One More Night," Levine teased the crowd with the refrain of "This Love" along a catwalk, finishing the song with a guitar in hand again.
As keyboardist PJ Morton played an extended intro of "Stereo Hearts," Levine took a moment to address the audience.
"[It's] so good to be back. Everyone stand up! Don't you feel better?" Levine said, with a brief introduction of the band. "We know here in the Philippines you are the best singers. No one sings louder at Maroon 5 concerts."
After "Stereo Hearts," the band performed "Harder to Breathe" and "Lucky Strike," with guitarist James Valentine taking over the catwalk during the latter's bridge.
Levine vocalized with the crowd before Maroon 5 went into a performance of "Sunday Morning," once again commending the Mall of Asia Arena crowd for their singing.
"You are the most musical people, that's why we love coming here," Levine cheered, calling for a group hug as Morton and Valentine had moments again in the limelight.
Maroon 5 then went into a medley that included "Payphone," "What Lovers Do," "Makes Me Wonder," Morton's song "Heavy," and "Maps" with a different arrangement.
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Things toned down as the band performed "Memories," with Levine noting the song's origins about their late former band manager Jordan Feldstein.
"Let's fill this room with melody," Levine said, and without notice people began lighting up their phones during the song.
The low tone was kept as Maroon 5 sang "Don't Wanna Know," but ended the main set with a bang in back-to-back performances of "Love Somebody" and "Moves Like Jagger."
After a few minutes of darkness, Levine and Valentine returned to the catwalk for an acoustic version of "She Will Be Loved."
Levine teased that the track might be his favorite song, a fact made evident as the crowd echoed his singing so much that the vocalist had to restart the first verse.
Maroon 5 finished the hit song with the full band, ending the encore with "Girls Like You" and "Sugar."
"Thank you so much Manila, we are Maroon 5!" Levine shouted, gathering his colleagues for one final bow and the band's logo appearing behind them.
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