People had gathered here to watch some ‘Jagger’ moves with some “Sugar” by pop band Maroon 5. But they were in for a surprise when Grammy-Award winning singer Lady Gaga walked onto the stage to wrap up the night on a sweet note.
Her performance on Saturday night to mark the closing of the third annual Airbnb Open — an event which brings hosts from different parts of the world as they strive towards finding better ways of hospitality together — was a well-kept secret, and took the energy to another level.
In the streets of Hollywood with a nip in the air and chilly winds, Maroon 5 — which consists of Adam Levine, Mickey Madden, James Valentine, Jesse Carmichael and PJ Morton — started the party by plugging the musical chord with hit song “Move like Jagger”.
The venue was packed, there were people outside the venue dancing to the music. In fact, a nearby restaurant also turned out to be a haven for music lovers who gathered to catch a glimpse of the band performing.
There were sounds of several instruments which set the mood, and made way for Maroon 5.
The different lights acted like a trippy psychedelic of colours as the band spread music waves by performing their popular and some lesser known tracks.
From “Locked away”, “Misery”, “Love somebody”, “Sugar” and “She will be loved” to “Animals” — different moods flowed with the songs, as Levine captured the audience.
Expectedly, Levine’s famous howl was the signature component of the last named song.
The most interesting part of the concert was the presence of people from all age groups. One could see a mother dancing with her toddler, there were friends enjoying the night out, there was a couple embracing each other and dancing rather closely, and there were senior people enjoying the music as well.
They came and they got what they were promised. As the crowd started dispersing, the host came back on stage to tell them to wait up for the last treat for the night.
In no time, the co-founder of Airbnb Brian Chesky took the stage to welcome Lady Gaga.
She made an entry in a black smart dress with glittery spectacles adding funk and spunk to her ensemble amid loud cheer.
Lady Gaga sang some soothing melodies like “Million reasons”, as she asked the crowd to join her.
She said she wanted everyone to go “home with a good feeling”. And that’s what her performance was all about. Her gig was short, but gave all those present memories to cherish for a lifetime.
The third annual Airbnb Open was a glitzy affair with Chesky announcing addition of experiences and tours in the app, and Ashton Kutcher and Gwyneth Paltrow adding their star power to the event as keynote speakers.
(The writer’s trip is at the invitation of Airbnb. Sugandha Rawal can be contacted at [email protected])
By Sugandha Rawal
