Maroon 5

Live Friday the 13th is the second live recording Maroon 5 has released since their 2002 debut, Songs About Jane, following 1.22.03.Acoustic by two years. Where that was an acoustic mini-LP, Friday the 13th is a full-blown concert, capturing a live show at the Santa Barbara Bowl, both on CD and on DVD in this two-disc set. In concert, the band sounds a bit bigger and tougher than it does in the studio, and they do deviate from the record a bit, allowing for audience interaction on their big hit "This Love," along with some improvisation scattered along the way. That doesn't necessarily mean that they rock, as their limp rendition of Oasis' "Hello" proves, but rocking isn't necessarily the point of Maroon 5 -- they're a pop band with a hint of soul, and since they're adept musicians, they do well in a live setting, letting their music breathe and sound a little looser. Consequently, Friday the 13th, in either its CD or DVD incarnations, is a good time for fans -- maybe not as intimate as 1.22.03, and certainly not something everybody needs to own, yet a good souvenir for the fans who are still patiently waiting for a new set of songs. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide