On the Scene: (Another) Night with Maroon 5

Ah, to breathe the air of the Bowery Ballroom again. I left New York some two and half years ago and headed west to sunny Los Angeles, but I can't count the number of nights, back when I was a Lower East Side girl, that I spent watching bands play the Bowery — or toiling away in the downstairs bar. Last night, I found myself back at the old haunt, but to catch my new hometown's favorite sons, Maroon 5, as they continued their club tour. Given the industry-heavy crowd the guys played for at L.A.'s Troubadour last week (yes, I was at that show, too), I was surprised when, walking up Delancey St., I noticed a ridiculously long line of actual fans. Inside, the scene was no different. People filled every inch of the room in what was certainly a warm welcome from an often jaded venue.

Truth be told, I haven't seen the Bowery this packed since I caught the Coldplay show where Chris and Gwyneth first made eyes at each other. Maroon 5 inspired sheer pandemonium in the room, kicking off with their very first hit single, "Harder to Breathe" and their latest, "Makes Me Wonder." Say what you will about their brand of funk-infused pop, but on this night, Maroon 5 simply rocked.

Frontman Adam Levine has a reputation for many things, but being a stellar guitar player is not one of them. This is unfair. Playing the signature First Act guitar that bears his name, Adam displayed an impressive knack for solos and hard-driving riffs. Add to his instrumental skills the serious chops of rhythm guitarist James Valentine, bassist Mickey Madden, keyboardist Jesse Carmichael and drummer Matt Flynn, and you end up with a tight band that can truly jam. And so they did, on new songs like "Wake Up Call," "Little of Your Time," and "I Won't Go Home Without You," as well as crowdpleasing chestnuts like "Sunday Morning" and "This Love," which Adam started off a cappella. I swear, if you hadn't had access to MTV in the last five years and just walked into the joint, you might have even mistaken them for a jam band. Which would probably be just fine with Adam and Co., who readily admit they were serious Phishheads back in their high school days.

Then again, there were also the distinct Police and Prince influences, as heard all over the band's new release It Won’t Be Soon Before Long, that got people bouncing 'round the room. Even a four-months pregnant Drea De Matteo, there with boyfriend Shooter Jennings, was all about getting down. But no one was having more fun than the band — and especially Adam, who handed his water bottle to a girl in the front row and joked about not having the cooties. "They think I've slept with half of America anyway," he deadpanned.

The laughs continued well into the night, as the guys headed to the West Village's Beatrice Inn for a private champagne toast and afterparty. With DJ Samantha Ronson manning the decks, Adam, Jesse, Mickey, James, and Matt, ever the consummate hosts, walked from table to table, checking in on friends and family members. The band's only request: don’t talk Sopranos in their presence, as some of them hadn't yet seen the final episode. (Between Howard Stern, the tour, and Letterman, who has the time?) With Drea — still fired up about what she thought was "the perfect ending" — in the house, omerta was a tall order, but we tried our best. Now, back to that blackout...