Twitter
Facebook
Reddit
Digg
Tell us what you think!Send a letter to the editor about this or any other article in The Maine Campus.
Night life in Maine was “The Way Life Should Be” Tuesday at the University of Maine’s Maine Center for the Arts.
Michael Tolcher, one of two opening acts for the Maroon5 concert, commented on liking the the state’s motto.
“It’s the way it should be now, right?” he said.
An overwhelming “yes” of screams from the crowd of about 1,300 – the majority allegedly being non-UMaine students – set the stage for a night of highenergy music.
The young Georgia native performed songs that epitomized the typical college student’s experiences.
From sassy, sexual lyrics that made the audience scream in delight, such as, “Would you be my sweet taste of caramel? Would you be my kiss and tell?” to a song of advice about how it feels to know something sooner or later such as, “Someday you might listen to what people had to say, but now you learn the hard way,” Tolcher’s lyrics offered something for everyone.
Midway through his set, Tolcher requested that the lights be turned on so he could “meet” his audience. His distinctive southern accent and use of “ya’ll” gave him the sound of a southern gentleman. His mixture of keyboard, drums, acoustic and electric guitar engaged the crowd in a delightful manner.
The second opening act began his performance with a sound check with his three band members, as he said he does not believe in sound checks before the show.
“This is the reddest room I’ve seen in my whole damn life,” said the 26-year-old New York state native, Gavin DeGraw. “You either walk in here hungry or horny. I haven’t quite figured that out yet.”
His mixture of songs about various topics, including relationships and one about a party that “got out of hand,” made for an exciting performance, even for those who appeared to have not yet heard of him.
His first single, “I don’t want to be” from his debut CD, Chariot, is featured on the opening credits of the new hit show on the WB, “One tree hill.” The audience seemed to enjoy this song, as its lyrics were something most young adults could relate to.
DeGraw said after the show that his style of music is difficult to describe.
“It’s a little bit on the artistic side of rock and songwriter music,” he said. “I like it to sound a little bit Indie when we’re playing live. I think live should be a little bit gritty and rough. There should be the right combination of optimism and depression.”
Moving back and forth from his bright green electric guitar to the keyboard, DeGraw proved worthy of his beaming smile that seemed to shout, “I’m completely loving this right now.”
When questioned after the show, DeGraw said he did not realize he was smiling that much. He thanked his fans and was appreciative that they noticed he enjoyed his work.
DeGraw was the most friendly and fan-accessible of the three acts. He signed autographs and merchandise after his set, as well as hung around his tour bus, played basketball and talked with dedicated fans that stayed out in the cold to meet the new and upcoming musician.
“The night was awesome. It’s amazing. I had a great, great time tonight,” DeGraw said. “Even in a sit-down theater you can have a great time. I learned that today.”
Appearing sincere and real, DeGraw made out each autograph to fans directly, hugged each one, shook their hands and made it a point to thank each fan for supporting him.
“I just want to have the freedom to make all the types of records that I want to make,” DeGraw said after the show. “That’s my dream as an artist. To just not have any kind of boundary. I just want to have an open range to play music.”
Based on his performance, it is likely that an open range filled with opportunities and dedicated fans is exactly what DeGraw will encounter in the near future.
The hours seemed to have passed much too soon when the lights finally dimmed to welcome the headliner, MTV-featured band, Maroon5. The five-member band from Los Angeles, Calif. received a standing ovation upon emerging onto the simple stage setting of a large white backdrop with the band’s signature “M” on it. It seemed fitting – simple, yet powerful at the same time, as though it were a preview of the performance the band was about to give.
Opening with “This love,” the crowd slowly got into the groove of the music, though it appeared most audience members had never heard the songs before based on the lack of movement.
The band kept the night alive with its frequent rock/ R&B jam sessions among the electric guitarists and vocalist Adam Levine. The title of the band’s debut CD, Songs about Jane, is named after Levine’s ex-girlfriend. He was quoted in an MTV interview saying there is at least one line in each song on the CD about her.
Jesse Carmichael, keyboardist for the band, commented after the show about the meaning of the single, “Harder to breathe.”
“It’s about Adam [Levine's] addiction to speed,” Carmichael said.
Carmichael would not comment on how Levine was handling the addiction.
“This is a lot of fun,” Levine said. “Every night is tremendous. Thank you so very much for being with us tonight.”
He requested that the lights be turned on so he, too, could see the faces of the crowd.
“The show was very exciting tonight,” Carmichael said. “I especially liked the segment when they turned the house lights up and we could see everybody in the audience.”
A line in one of Maroon5′s songs includes the lyrics, “I’m traveling fast now, don’t think I know how to go slow.” Definitely fitting for this band, which appears as though it will continue on the fast track to success for quite some time.
Bangor Daily News