Maroon 5 brought some “sugar” to Toronto with their ‘Red Pill Blues’ tour, and it was the right amount of nostalgia mixed with enough energy to keep you dancing for a week. Maroon 5 was essentially the soundtrack to the early to mid-2000’s and because of this, I found myself singing all the lyrics to the songs that I forgot I knew by heart.

Before we start discussing, Maroon 5, let’s begin with their opening act, Julia Michaels. The 24 year-old singer from Iowa is most notably known for her single ‘Issues,’ however, she also is the mastermind behind amazing songs like ‘Love Myself’ performed by Hailee Steinfeld, ‘Bad Liar’ performed by Selena Gomez and ‘Sorry’ performed by Justin Bieber to name a few. Michaels performed a medley of the songs she wrote followed by her big single ‘Issues,’ and the crowd was singing along to every word!

The L.A band opened their stop in Toronto with a scene from ‘Back to the Future’ which transitioned into their first song of the night, ‘What Lovers Do.’ Maroon 5 followed one of their new songs with one of their old ones: ‘Payphone.’ As a 24-year-old, I immediately got flashbacks from high school and thinking about all the ‘boy drama’ I thought I had. The memories kept flowing as they went further back and followed their 2012 hit with one from 2003 playing ‘This Love.’ The band then slowed it down and sang their hit ‘Sunday Morning.’ The crowd was swooning and some tears may have (shamelessly) been shed.

With this being their sixth concert tour, Maroon 5 has pinpointed out how to control the audience from the fast-paced songs to the intimate serenades by lead singer, Adam Levine. And guitar solos. Lots of guitar solos. One aspect I really enjoyed was the stage set-up; there was the primary stage at the front of the venue, along with a runaway that extended more than ¾ out into the audience almost reaching the farthest seats on the opposite side of the venue. No matter where you were sitting, you could get a good look of Adam Levine… and his tattoo sleeve!

Maroon 5 continued to sing more of their older songs like, ‘One More Night,’ ‘Cold (with a psychedelic interlude on screen featuring rapper, Future),’ ‘Maps,’ and ‘Don’t Want to Know’ to name a few, smoothly transitioning from one song to another.

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One of my favourite parts of concerts is the one-on-one intimate talks between the artist and the crowd without music. It’s a special moment that makes me feel that I personally matter as a fan. As song after song played and more than half the concert went by, I was dismayed that Maroon 5 didn’t talk to the crowd. But, patience paid off. Adam Levine told the audience about the last time they were at the Scotiabank Arena in 2015 and the power went out during their performance. More specifically, that he accidentally hit a girl in the forehead with his microphone after dropping it in frustration. Turns out, the girl wasn’t mad in the slightest! Levine pulled her on stage trying to make amends and discovered how (literally) tough and passionate Maroon 5 fans are! At another part of the show Levine does a mini-monologue thanking the audience for supporting them as a band and still being fans after all these years.

After singing a few more songs, the band paid tribute to the “King of Pop” with a cover of ‘Rock With You’ and there were serious Michael Jackson vibes in the arena. The dancing only got more intense when ‘Moves Like Jagger’ came on, and every single person was (attempting to) ‘move like Jagger.’

The last song on the roster for the night was ‘Sugar.’ One fan caught a “sweet tooth” and rushed the stage but was quickly carried off by security!

I always admire when a band, who arguably reached their prime in the 2000’s, ends with an older song (‘Sugar’ was released in 2015). It is almost as if they are saying to the audience, “yes we are still making new music but let’s remember why you fell in love with us in first place so many years ago.” It was the perfect way to end the night.

To the fans who weren’t able to make it out to the concert tonight, don’t worry, the boys will be on the big screen when they perform at the 2019 Halftime Show in Atlanta! Until then, put on a Maroon 5 playlist, pull out a hairbrush, and embrace your inner Adam Levine by singing/dancing along to all the songs you know and love while remembering all the good memories these songs highlighted on this roller coaster we call “life.”

Filed under: adam levine, Band, Girls Like You, Maroon 5, Music, Red Pill Blues Tour, sugar