When I first heard that the Grammy award winning band, Maroon 5 was coming to town, it blew my mind.
At first I wasn't sure if a concert at the hottest time of year (June is usually humid here in the region), made sense. But heck, there was talk of an indoor arena. One thing was sure I wasn't going to miss it. Last night a dream came true. I got to take my son to his first concert.
The concert was held in the brand-new 15,000 seater Coca-Cola Arena, in City Walk, Dubai. The show was the first announced act in this arena and was the first music performance to be hosted here. When did such a large scale venue open up in our city, you may wonder? Well that is the magic of the UAE. It makes the impossible, possible. It was such a spectacular experience to see people from different countries and ages all under one roof. Belting out one hit after another, it is as if no one wanted the show to end.
Sitting high up on the top floor, I did notice lead singer, Adam Levine clutching the mic stand a little unusually. His vocals were somehow also seeming unlike his top-notch range. While the crowds quickly filled the massive arena, anxiously waiting for the band, mid-way, Levine was seen heading out of the stage area.
True to the spirit, of 'the show must go on,' the band including Lead guitarist, James Valentine and James Farrar on bass, played some mind-blowing guitar riffs. My son, Daniel looked at me and we knew something wasn't quite right. "This is my first music concert but it can't be over right?" asked a concerned Daniel. We've been listening to some of the songs by this band from before 12 year old Daniel was born. Luckily we were not disappointed as moments later Levine came right back and did a rendition of "Forever Young," from the 80's fused with one of their current chart busters, "Girls Like You".
Adam told the crowd that he wanted to be honest and shared that he wasn't feeling up to the mark. He also mentioned being in awe of the audience response. He dedicated the song, "She will be loved," to all the many ladies in the audience and yes many hearts immediately melted if they hadn't up to that point.
In the many live acts that I've been fortunate to see in this lifetime, Maroon 5 certainly took centre stage for their originality and dedication to keep their fans satisfied.
Were you there? Share your comments below.
Images, videos and text are strictly not to be lifted without permission. Images and videos are courtesy Croydon D'Souza and Urvashi Khanolkar.
Click here see this same writeup on the Kuwait Times E-Paper dated 21st of June, 2019.