The Maine
The Roxy Theatre
There’s something about a band that self-funds and self-produces an album, and then goes on tour to perform not one, but two sets for its fans. The Maine, an alternative rock band from Arizona, performed two outstanding set lists as it kicked off its tour at a sold out show at The Roxy on Monday night. The band’s first set included songs off of its upcoming album, “Pioneer,” and another filled with songs from previous albums.
The show opened with two of the band members introducing Kyle Mooney, a comedian they said they watched videos of while recording “Pioneer.” They had Mooney tell jokes, most of which revolved around the Thanksgiving holiday. He made sarcastic comments about spending time with his favorite people (his family) and compared turkey stuffing to looking like throw up, jokes the audience didn’t find very funny.
After a few minutes, Mooney left the stage and the crowd prepared for The Maine. It opened with a song from “Pioneer,” and while the crowd was unfamiliar with the song, they still danced along as if it was one of the band’s more well-known songs.
Overall, the band’s new music from “Pioneer” gives the group a more rock “˜n’ roll feel rather than an alternative rock vibe that fans may be used to. The opening song was followed by “My Heroine” and “Time,” two tracks off of “Pioneer” that are both different from what The Maine’s previous albums, “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop” and “Black & White,” sound like.
The band then performed its newest single, “Some Days,” a song that may closely resemble songs from their other albums. While the band maintained its high-energy feel throughout most of its songs, the songs “Thinking of You” and “Jenny” (a song lead singer John O’Callaghan said was about his mother) brought out a softer side in the band, leaving the audience swaying from side to side.
Toward the end of its first set, the band split the audience in half and had them sing parts of “While Listening to Rock & Roll,” successfully creating a sea of voices as backup vocals.
After the band performed “Pioneer” in its entirety, there was an intermission where the group showed a behind the scenes video of the band’s five-year history.
The video included moments such as when the band covered Akon’s “I Wanna Love You” in the studio to the time it was signed to a major record label. While there were some satiric elements to the video, the group managed to sum up its five years perfectly, highlighting both the high and low points of its musical history.
The second half of the show opened up with the band performing a slow version of “Inside of You,” followed by “Right Girl.” It was obvious that, while the audience appreciated listening to the band’s new material, these were the songs they were waiting for. While the band created slower renditions of some of its classic songs, it didn’t stop the audience from singing along.
The set also included one of the band’s first singles, “Everything I Ask For,” as well as songs from “Black & White.” What might have gotten the audience the most excited was when the band performed “Ho Ho Hopefully,” a song off of its 2008 Christmas EP “…And a Happy New Year.”
The show ended with an acoustic version of “Into Your Arms,” leaving the audience singing every word at the top of their lungs. What stood out about this show was the appreciation that the band expressed for its fans after every few songs. The band spent a substantial amount of time talking about how it didn’t know what to expect with its self-produced album and tour.
Through both its performance and the video it made for its fans, it’s obvious that The Maine makes music and performs for its fans because it’s something it truly enjoys doing.