The Maine

I have grown with The Maine over the last 5 years, from their first album Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, all the way to Forever Halloween. In this time they have produced 4 incredible albums, each one different from the last, but still keeping a sound so familiar to The Maine.

There are two things that make The Maine different from other bands; their love for their fans and their desire to make real music that means something to them, and this really comes through in their live performances.

The Maine usually play small venues, making it even more special and intimate; they never disappoint. These five guys from Phoenix, Arizona come alive on stage wherever they play relying on their talent alone to entertain the crowds. The Maine don’t need amazing light arrangements or backgrounds, themselves and their instruments are more than enough to keep us coming back for more.

The whole band get really into the zone, especially at the start of a set, where they prove that they deserve their title of a rock band. Garrett, on bass, and Jared, on guitar, are always rocking out together on the left side of the stage, where they vibe of one another. John can go from encouraging and shouting with the crowd to being in his own little world, so engrossed in the music. He is always so happy to be singing and performing, and really relishes fans in the audience singing along to his words.

With 7 years worth of back catalogue to choose from they play different sets at each tour, always with variety, playing songs from all four albums and always pleasing the crowd with favourites such as Run, Right Girl, My Heroine and Identify. If it’s one thing I don’t doubt; The Maine love making music and playing together, and they are so appreciative of every single person that supports them in any way, so much more than any other band. And that is why I love them. They create incredible music and will never forget the support they have had to allow them to live their dream.

10 shows over 4 years and I still can’t wait for the next one.

I had the opportunity to see Gym Class Heroes about a year ago in Miami at the Jackie Gleason Theater in Miami. It was a fantastic concert. My girlfriend and I who are both fans had an amazing time.

Unlike some hip-hop acts their live performance stayed very true to what you would hear when jamming to one of their CD at home. Maybe its the fusion of Rap and Rock that they just personify and pull off so well.

The concert was a crazy outdoor live experience. The venue is a well-furnished auditorium setting with a perhaps only a few hundred seats. Our seats were terrific somewhere in the first few rows center-stage. The set was pretty long and included most of their huge hits but also several of their less well known songs.

The highlight was when they played Viva La White Girl which is probably my favorite song of theirs. I was so happy I managed to snag tickets to this as they ended up taking a break to pursue solo projects shortly after this. I am quite sure or at least hopeful that they will get back together at sometime and pump out some new great anthems.

I’ve seen these guys 10 or 12 times. I know people who've seen them 40 times. And I’m sure if you Google hard enough, you can find some lovable psycho who’s nearing their centennial show. Why? It actually goes beyond the music here.

But first, an intro: Motion City Soundtrack, or MCS for lazy asses like me, is a quintet of scruffy optimists from Minneapolis. Justin Pierre (the one who looks like he enjoys frenching electrical outlets) is our chatty and quirky lead singer. He and Josh (Guitarist Extraordinaire) started the band over a decade ago. Jesse (Lord of the Moog), Matt (Bass Profundo), and newbie Claudio (Skins Slapper) (That Sounds Weird) (Drummer Guy) round out the group. There used to be a Tony (Post-Calculus-Level Math Rock Drummer), but he retired last year.

Together they create hyperkinetic music that sounds like a mix of lightening, sugar, and something heavy, like vicodin or lead.  That is, it’ll get you pumpin’ your fist, but later you’ll realize the lyrics were about a nasty break-up or something. But that’s part of the charm! Check out Capital H, Time Turned Fragile, Broken Heart, or Disappear for a taste test.

Their live shows include a healthy mix of their entire discography. Get  FRONT and CENTER, and fun will be guaranteed whether you just heard “Everything is Alright” 5 minutes ago, or you’re a veteran who came to reminisce about that time you accidentally crowd-surfing into the singer’s mike. Once you’re settled, interact with the band and the people around you! The guys seem to like hearing from the crowd. Sometimes singing along is literally required. (I’m looking at you, The Future Freaks Me Out.) And the crowd that this band attracts is full of Quality People. You’re likely to leave with a friend.  :)

After, put some extra effort into say hi, because these are some of the nicest guys around and they will always try to meet & greet. Matt in particular is extra kind to nervous-nellies like me <3 . Please note that Justin might not *say* anything to you, because dude has a powerful voice that he needs to preserve for their next 572 shows. He’ll usually express his pleasure at meeting you/need for coffee through hand gestures.

Other Stray Observations:

1)      Record in-between-song banter. You will never regret this, since it is never not amazing.

2)      Once upon a time, Jesse used to do a handstand on his keyboards at certain times. But no longer, Frodo. Equipment’s getting expensive and he’s getting older.

3)      Air-drumming, singing along, and rocking out are all encouraged. But don’t crowd-surf around Justin. That mike thing actually happened to him and he’s a bit paranoid about it.

I’d need a novel to detail all the awesome things that happened for me through this band. But to sum up: A great group of musicians with good personalities attract good people who become great friends. That’s why I happily look forward to my 13th and 35th and 350th show. Please do not miss these guys if they ever come by.