The Maine Brings Joy to Columbus
BY ANNA PORCELLAAs The Maine approach the 20th anniversary of their formation in 2007, the five-piece Arizona band continue to reach new heights. Almost two decades and ten albums in, the release of their latest record “Joy Next Door” is one of their most reflective bodies of work yet. More stripped back, intentional, and beautifully cohesive, “Joy Next Door” is a true testament to the band’s growth and where they stand in their career. It is an introspective work, one that reminds the listener that joy is already present in the little moments, and that one doesn’t need to chase it to find it. To celebrate the new record, the band is embarking on the “I Love You But I Choose The Maine Tour,” bringing along a rotating number of supporting acts including Broadside, Moody Joody, and Franklin Jonas & The Byzantines. When the tour arrived at Kemba Live in Columbus, the lineup consisted of indie rockers Friday Pilots Club, pop punk band Grayscale, and alt pop trio Nightly.
“Joy Next Door,” coined “the green era” due to its album art, was honored by fans decked out in the color, including several light up green cowboy hats. The room is bathed in a warm glow from an overhead light as the band takes the stage, consisting of guitarists Jared Monaco and Kennedy Brock, bassist Garrett Nickelsen, and drummer Pat Kirch, followed by frontman John O’Callaghan armed with only an acoustic guitar. The tone is set quickly with “Another Night on Mars,” “I Think About You All the Time,” and “Die to Fall” kicking off the set. Upbeat and easily danceable, The Maine has an ability to intertwine emotional lyrics with incredible energy. In particular, “Die to Fall,” the lead single off “Joy Next Door,” is an anthemic affirmation as the packed room chants “I feel alive.”
The “I Love You But I Choose The Maine Tour” is the band’s first headliner in over two years, and while it is strongly contrasting the dark, silver, and sparkles of their previous tour, it is still undeniably The Maine. Typically when touring a new album, a band’s setlist will heavily lean towards new material. Instead, The Maine have blended ten studio albums into a 22 song setlist, often switching up songs from night to night, keeping fans on their toes and making sure every era has its moment. Even as they approach two decades since their anniversary, they remind the crowd of their roots in pop punk during older songs such as “We All Roll Along” and “Right Girl.” “This is punk rock!” O’Callaghan shouts as a mosh pit opens up.
Typically when I write my show reviews, I tend to not use first person, keeping things mostly documentative. For this one, it feels necessary for me to document how touching this tour was to me. I had the opportunity to attend two shows, one as a photographer in Columbus, and one as a fan in Washington, DC. Following the Columbus show, I was traveling and happened to be in town for the DC show, and in need of a pick-me-up, decided to attend it as a fan. I had recently moved away from the DMV, and entering a venue I used to frequent and immediately seeing so many familiar faces felt like coming home. Throughout the show, I was struck with how much of a community this band has built. Several times complete strangers would turn to me to sing along to the lyrics with me, and when I fell in the pit I was immediately lifted back up. During the final song, “Another Night on Mars,” I noticed three friends, with tears in their eyes and their arms around each other. They weren’t facing the stage, simply being with one another in the moment as the lyrics “with friends like ours/anywhere is home” ring through the room. This moment will stick with me for a long time, a perfect example of how powerful live music and the community it cultivates as a result is.
