The Maine at The Phoenix – 05/09/12

Photographs by Katrina Wong Shue

The evening was filled with confetti, stage antics, and some serious crowd surfing. But the fans of pop-rock act, The Maine, wouldn’t have it any other way; making the Pioneer Tour the best one yet.

Starting things off was indie-rock band LYDIA. These Arizona boys did a stellar job at preparing the crowd for the headliner. They bought such an acoustic energy as they performed songs from their latest album, Paint It Golden. If their goal was aiming to please, they sure did.

My anticipation was building as it has been a forever since I’ve seen The Maine in concert. Catering to a sold out crowd, the band finally made its way to the stage. Red and white confetti gushed into the crowd as the fans sang and danced to “Identify” and “My Heroine” By the time “Thinking of You” was over, the Maine turned the venue into one epic party.

John O’Callaghan still knows how to work a crowd. He shows his love by dropping f-bombs and crowd surfing whenever he pleases. It is clear; this lean tattoo-heartthrob was the real star of the evening. The Maine sang little from their previous records (Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop, Black & White) but the audience didn’t seem to care. It was clear the band’s latest, Pioneer, holds a special place in their teenage heart.

After a couple of songs in, The Maine invited LYDIA back to the stage to perform their rendition of The Beatles “With A Little Help from My Friends”. Their performance also included some mean limbo moves which was amusing to see. After a heartfelt thank you speech from O’Callaghan, the evening ended with “Don’t Give up On Us”.

The Maine has come a long way from the last time I saw them in 2008. They appeared more comfortable with their material. On top of that, they gave a rock fuelled performance which everyone wanted to see. After 5 years, 3 records later, I can say this young band has grown into something great. The Maine is due back in Toronto this fall.