The pop-rockers also gave fans a taste of the styles that have evolved through their award-winning career, adding a little reggae funk with 'One More Night” and a little hip-hop party groove with 'Cold,” from the latest album, 'Red Pill Blues.”īetween bouncing around the stage and simply breathing, Levine didn't have to work too hard to get the crowd revved up, but everyone was more than happy to clap along on-cue on 'Maps.”
Evolve stage 2 player count full#
Near the end of the song, he went into full beast mode in a guitar duel with Lincoln, Neb., native James Valentine, who killed it all night long on lead guitar. He can even add a little growl when he launches into his falsetto. 'Animals,” however, is where we heard the full flexibility of Levine's multi-octave voice. The band segued seamlessly through a 90-minute hit parade that continued with 'This Love” and 'Misery,” both marked by angsty lyrics wrapped in bright and bouncy beats, giving way to the soulful jazz of 'Sunday Morning,” propelled by a bass kick that pulsed right through your chest. Saturday's standing-room-only pit was completely full, and several celebs were spotted rocking out in the VIP section, including 'Hairspray” writer-director John Waters Carson Kressley from 'Queer Eye” fame cable TV's 'Wood Work” and 'Fixer Upper” carpenter Clint Harp and his wife, Kelly and MIT political science professor and author Adam Berinsky.įans showered Levine with screams even before he stepped into the spotlight, and the volume pumped even higher when Maroon 5 dialed up 'Payphone.” Even though I can't remember the last time I saw a pay phone, this one proves that happy ever-afters still exist, as this 2012 hit still will be fun technological light years from now.įor me, Maroon 5 is one of those bands where I didn't realize I knew every hit on the set-list until I heard them woven together in concert.
Add in a nice variety of food vendors and plentiful beverage stands and 'comfort” stations, and this was an uptown setup for welcoming back-to-back superstars and their legions of fans.Īlthough crowd counts weren't available at this writing, Clarkson drew a big crowd, and Maroon 5 drew even more. The massive stage, crystal-clear sound system and sophisticated light show rival any venue I've been to. I would love to see the festival return, but beyond that, I'd love to see this new stage continue to reel in the huge summer shows that head to the big venues that can pack in huge audiences they're after. The overarching theme I heard from the festival's celebrity speakers and out-of-town guests was that they had no idea Cedar Rapids was so cool, and they were so impressed with the way residents and businesses pitched in to pull off this inaugural event. Kelly Clarkson was wonderful Friday night, and Adam Levine was phenomenal Saturday night, fronting his Grammy-winning band, Maroon 5. The gigantic stage set up behind the Kickstand restaurant was the perfect place to lure thousands of people to the new river levee lawn for these gigantic concerts. CEDAR RAPIDS - Two powerhouse judges from 'The Voice” television competition brought their powerhouse concerts to the 'newbo evolve” main stage, and the NewBo District will never be the same.
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