Photos by Katrina Lat
This week, The Maine gave a stellar performance at the Phoenix Concert Theatre on Tuesday night. After celebrating ten years as a band, the Arizona rockers released their sixth full-length album on April 7th. Lovely Little Lonely talks about the trials and tribulations of youth transitioning into adulthood. The new record come as a sweet start to an exciting new era as the band sets off on a new tour with fellow rockers, Beach Weather and The Mowgli’s.
To the tune of “Lovely”, the members of The Maine make their way to the stage which was decorated as a starry night. The band opened their set with “Black Butterflies and Déjà Vu” from Lovely Little Lonely followed by “Am I Pretty?” – one of the singles from American Candy .The sold-out crowd gave the band a warm welcome and sang along with frontman, John O’Callaghan whose raspy voice sounded so sweet.
There was only one rule for the evening, good vibes only. The night was not about making anyone feel uncomfortable. “Let’s get weird, no excuses” proclaims O’Callaghan. ‘Let’s saddle up the horse and ride into the sunset together’. And that’s what we did for the entire night.
It amazes me how strong The Maine’s on-stage chemistry is after all this time. These guys have put on a great show every time I’ve seen them. Their quirky onstage personas made the night more memorable. In addition to performing songs from Lovely Little Lonely, they included fan favourites from Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, The Way We Talk, Pioneer, Forever Halloween, and Imaginary Numbers which definitely made long-time fans pleased.
The highlight of the evening was when O’Callaghan helped a fan confessed his feelings to his friend and soon-to-be bae, Michaela. Not only did the band and crowd cheer him on, but John got him to take the lead in “Girls Do What They Want”. He might not have a career in music, but he won a place in Michaela’s heart as she rewarded him with a kiss.
The Maine closed the night with “Another Night on Mars”, which is always a good ending number. O’Callaghan reminded fans to “take care of each other, take care of you” as we’re all family in this fandom. Seeing The Maine is truly an experience. If you missed out on their show at the Phoenix, be sure to check them out when they return to Toronto next fall.
