Movement was barely an option inside Barton Hall at Cornell University Sunday night. The former armory and current home to Cornell’s indoor track and field team was filled with students sandwiched together in a sweaty mass, despite the space around them.

Laughter and gossip reverberated through the 25-foot ceilings, yet members of the audience remained rooted to their spots, marking their territory and snarling when it was challenged.

The lights fell and the stage became illuminated with blue light, causing the crowd to scream, unifying them in a single moment of passion. The lights flicked back on, revealing Maroon 5’s Adam Levine’s signature smirk as he broke into the band’s first single “Harder to Breathe,” off of the 2002 album, “Songs About Jane.”

In an age where auto-tune is more common than hearing an artist’s actual vocals on the radio, and lip-synching is so apparent that Australia recently proposed a law to require artists to disclose whether or not they were going to be singing live in concerts, Maroon 5 is a breath of fresh air.

The band has had eight singles since their debut onto the pop scene, with six of them making an appearance on the Billboard Top 40. They have explored several genres, and Levine in particular transcended the pop/rock genre when he offered his vocals to a song on Kanye West’s sophomore album, “Late Registration” in 2005.

But despite their popularity and proven ability to branch out into varying genres, Maroon 5 returned to their roots Sunday as a band who once played smaller venues, simply playing music for people who loved music.

Levine, who is notoriously thought of as cocky — which probably has something to do with his stunning good looks, closed-lipped smile and imperious lyrics — revealed a more down-to-Earth side throughout the show. He created a dialogue with the audience, even bringing one audience member onto the stage during his performance of “Sunday Morning,” something you probably wouldn’t see at Madison Square Garden.

The band has an obvious appreciation for music, as they experimented with covers of Pink Floyd, The Police, and even Alicia Keys’ 2003 single “If I Ain’t Got You.” They paid tribute to artists with pure and genuine talent.

“Alicia Keys is a certified badass,” Levine explained to the audience. “She can just sit at a piano and play and be amazing. It’s all her.”

Maroon 5 also performed an acoustic version of its single “Wake Up Call.” Though it was a bit unsuccessful, he at least took the risk most artists fear to take.

While their performance was far from flawless, Maroon 5 was obviously having a good time and the energy was contagious, and they allowed themselves to relive a simpler time in their career when their fan base was young and didn’t have to shell out $50 for a ticket.