What can we say about The Maine? If you’re expecting to go to a show and hear exactly what you heard on the album, then their live show is probably not for you. If you’re a fan of progression, this is the perfect fix. It’s been six years since the band released their first full-length and honestly if they still sounded the same, we’d be a little worried. Luckily, what we got was a rock n’ roll show, and a pretty damn good one at that.
As the night progressed, it became more and more evident just how much this band has grown in recent years. The band played a lot of older songs, including ‘Kiss and Sell’: a song they haven’t played in ages. The only thing is, it became hard to distinguish which song they were about to play, because everything was revamped to fit their current sound. Though their first two albums were essentially very pop, there was no trace of this that night. Here’s an example. ‘Growing Up’ is a nostalgic and laid back song, yet at this show, it allowed for a circle pit. Never in a million years would we have thought, this song would encourage moshing, but it did.
Through all the growing up that they’ve done together, it seems that The Maine has grown closer together as a unit. It was not five guys performing on stage, it was a band. Each with their very own great contribution to what was an on-point performance. Because guitarist Jared Monaco prefers to remain more in the background, contrasting bassist Garrett Nickelsen who was slaying away next to him: he does not get nearly enough credit. His guitar skills, getting even better with time, deserves a special mention.
The Maine set a fine example for other bands. Though you shouldn’t forget where you came from, you shouldn’t be scared of taking a risk and changing either. Since leaving a major label, it’s clear that the band has been able to cater to their own creative needs. This has made them far better musicians. Even though they stepped out on stage clearly a little intoxicated, there was no part we can pinpoint where something went wrong during their set. We don’t usually like using the word perfect, because nothing ever truly is, but for The Maine’s live performance, there seems to be no other word suitable.
Source: George Powell Photography
