From sound quality to the energy of a crowd there are so many factors that can take a run-of-the-mill concert and turn it into a show. On Thursday night at The Fillmore, there’s no doubt that The Maine put on a show. The band sounded amazing and the crowd was singing along to every lyric of hits like “Sticky” and “Die to Fall,” but it was the band members themselves that made the night so special. As a self-described ‘Arizona Emo Group,’ the show was more upbeat than you might expect. The band bantered with the crowd, took irreverent questions debating the merits of cake versus cookies, and at one point frontman John O’Callaghan jumped off the stage and into the pit where he managed to convince a concert goer lead a verse in front of a packed venue. It was the genuine excitement and joy that the band brought with them that stood out more than anything else, it was the kind of vibe that could have made a Monday-night karaoke bar feel like a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden. 

That’s not to say other musicians are curmudgeons, but it’s easy to forget that professional musicians are just regular people and although they might not clock in 9 to 5 every day, touring is a job. Just like any job it can have ups and downs, it can get monotonous, and performers can have bad days. I wish I had as much excitement as The Maine did clocking in for another day on the job, and it was just nice to see a band, nearly two decades into their career, having a blast and putting it all out there to make the show as special as any fan could hope for. 

With a 21-song set it was a long one, especially with three opening acts, but that didn’t slow down the fans who matched the vibes beat-for-beat the whole night. The band is on the first leg of their tour following the release of their 10th studio album Joy Next Door. As expected with a 21-song setlist, played a mix of both old and new songs, closing it out with my personal favorite,”Black Butterflies and Deja Vu.” After a two-decade career and 10 albums the band hasn’t lost their touch and while their new album is still the quintessential The Maine fans have come to know and love, it’s anything but formulaic.

Besides the band’s infectious excitement, the most striking thing was just how good they sounded. Everyone knows live music isn’t going to always sound like studio albums, sometimes it’s better, sometimes it’s not, but The Maine sounded as good as any pristine recording studio album — an impressive feat. In fact, if their performance was recorded and the crowd noise were removed it would be hard to believe it was a live performance — that’s how good it was. 

The band has a few more shows on this leg of their tour before taking a brief break before heading to Europe where they’ll play venues in Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the U.K. I’m Music Magazine had front row access to capture the show and you can check out the photo gallery below to see what’s in store for their next shows. 

Review & pix by I’m Music Magazine Photographer/Music Journalist Michael Praats