Owl City's Adam Young at the X/ Star Tribune photo by Renee Jones Schneider

Adam Levine's usual personality – strong, outspoken, smart-alecky, gets-under-your-skin --- seemed to be missing Monday at Maroon 5's gig at Xcel Energy Center.

As explained in my review, he was humble, with the right rock-star moves. He's not as earnest and sincere as Matchbox Twenty's Rob Thomas or as playful as Train's Pat Monahan. But he plays the sexy rock star more effectively than either of those frontmen of radio-friendly rock/pop bands.

Here is what M5 played in its 90-minute set:

Payphone/ Don't Stop snippet into Makes Me Wonder/ Lucky Strike/ Sunday Morning/ If I Never See Your Face Again/ Wipe Your Eyes/ Won't Go Home without You/ Love Somebody/ snippet of Skrillex as intro to Harder To Breathe/ Wake Up Call (with female singer Rozzi Crane)/ One More Night/ Misery/ This Love ENCORE Stereo Hearts (Gym Class Heroes)/ Daylight (from satellite stage)/ She Will Be Loved (acoustic on satellite stage)/ Moves Like Jagger

The evening opened with another Adam – Owatonna's own Adam Young and his Owl City – playing for a half hour. Young is clearly more comfortable onstage than in the past but his four-person band has shifted from the sweet, airy synth-pop of his radio hits to a dense bottom-heavy dance-club sound in concert. Not a smart move.

Owl City set list:
Speed of Love/ Dementia/ Early Birdie/ Fireflies/ Shooting Star/ Gold/ Good Time

The middle band, Utah's Neon Trees, seemed obsessed with 1980s MTV. Not only did they look like a Billy Idol tribute band (with lead singer Tyler Glenn sporting a blond Annie Lennox do and an arena-ready voice), but they even covered Human League's "Don't You Want Me." We want you to do your own modern-sounding material, like the peppy closing current hit "Everybody Talks," or the older hit "Animal," a surging arena rocker.

Neon Trees set list:
Moving in the Dark/ Animal/ Lessons in Love/ Mad Love/ Trust/ Don't You Want Me (Human League)/ Everybody Talks