Neck Problems Sideline Maroon 5

Earlier that day, rumors had circulated that the frontman had been in a car accident somewhere in the country after he posted a picture of himself on Instagram in a neck brace along with the message, “Hey guys sorry we had to reschedule…See you Thursday!”

The concert’s organizer, Live Nation Korea, quickly corrected the misunderstanding, saying there was no accident but the brace was “neck muscle issues” that prevented Levine from performing that night.

The Sept. 6 statement said, “The artists and staff tried very hard to prepare for [the concert this past Saturday] until the day before on Friday, but it seemed problematic to proceed with the show given vocalist Adam Levine’s neck muscle issues.”

Since the original message was in Korean and in that language the word for “neck” is the same as that for “throat” there was some confusion regarding Levine’s ailment. All the tickets for the Saturday concert can be refunded, though a makeup show was scheduled for Sept. 10, and anyone who held on to their tickets could attend.

There were also other shows in Seoul at Olympic Park on Sept. 7 and Sept. 9 that went ahead as scheduled.

However, the Korea Herald reported that the Monday show, in front of 13,000 fans, was less than stellar, with Levine’s voice “unstable.” Nevertheless, the newspaper said that the crowd was very “sympathetic” and brought the group back for three encores.

Levine told them they were the best audience he ever played for. Levine already has a very strong fan base in South Korea, where the indie film “Begin Again,” in which he has a supporting role, made more money than it did in any other country, including the U.S.

The second Seoul show, in fact, was added late after the first one sold out in five minutes, according to the Hollywood Reporter.