Vibrant beams of neon light slicing through the arena, the thrum of electric guitars vibrating in your ribs, voices of every generation melting into the chorus: we present Maroon 5’s “Love Is Like Tour.” From the moment the band stepped onto the stage at MSG, the energy surged like a pulse shared by thousands, a wave of nostalgia crashing over the crowd. Personally, this wasn’t just a concert; it felt like stepping into a time capsule lined with glittering lights and “Memories” from 2016.
The best part of the “Love Is Like Tour” was the dependent variable of most concerts—the setlist. Stacked with hit songs from recent years to over a decade ago, Maroon 5 knew what they were doing when they arranged their set list. It’s common to find musical artists who curate their set list based on their most recent album, which is usually expected. However, although the tour was named after Maroon 5’s newest album, it had everything we could have asked for and more. Beginning with the song “Harder to Breathe,” Adam Levine’s energy showed the crowd just how energetic this concert would be.
What struck us the most was the diversity of people packed into that space: millennials in front reliving their early 2010s soundtrack, boomers behind us nodding along to the songs they’d fallen for years ago, and people our age belting out every lyric as if we’d grown up with the band from the start. The moment the opening chords of “This Love” or “Animals” hit, you could practically feel the times you listened to Z100 as a kid come rushing back to you.
Some were unfamiliar with the tenth song. We watched as some looked confused and put their phone cameras away as the technical crew moved wires around the stage. Not us, though. Malini’s camera was on, and her eyes were focused on her #1 song on her all-time Apple Music Replay List: “Won’t Go Home Without You.” Not only was he performing this incredible song on tour for the first time in a decade, but those ‘moved wires’ were changing the microphone’s location to right front and center. The perfect view.
Adam Levine’s voice soared over the cheering crowd like a soundtrack you didn’t realize you missed until you heard it again live. The band played with the same passionate ease that made them global icons, each beat from the drums driving the audience to jump, sway, or scream like it was instinct. The energy never dipped.
Unlike the usual concertgoers’ tendencies, Malini had to stop filming two minutes into “Won’t Go Home Without You.” We felt it was a moment that needed to be experienced without looking through a screen. Throughout the concert, we had very different opinions on videoing. Keeran felt that it was important to live in the moment, while Malini felt that videos were the only way to relive the moment for “One More Night.” After the concert, however, we agreed that this was the one time videos were completely acceptable; every song “Makes Me Wonder” how we ever managed to leave.
After 10 straight hits, the lights went red, and Adam Levine played his new song, “Cigarettes,” with his guitar strapped across his chest. Although it is a new song, the performance was incredible: the second we expected him to take a break, he continued to play his guitar like never before. The song after, “Memories,” was another performance of a lifetime. Audience members sent in pictures of their loved ones, which ended up on the screen behind Maroon 5 as they performed their top single of 2019.
By the end of the night, the air felt electric. Not only was the concert uplifting, but it was also laced with comfort and familiarity. It reminded us of our childhood in the best way possible. Just when the night seemed to settle, the stage went completely dark, and the crowd froze. Then the familiar tune of “Payphone” began to echo through the arena, and the entire place lit up with recognition. People sang every word like muscle “Memories.” Despite the homework on a Wednesday night, Maroon 5 took our Misery away. In just over 2 hours and 30 minutes, all of our troubles and stress faded, and we were transported back into our younger selves, bopping our heads to “Maps,” and belting our hearts out.
