In the final weeks of 2015, the news came down that Mayday Parade would be joining up with their friends in The Maine for a tour set to begin March 10th entitled The American Lines Tour ’16. Scheduled to include Better Off as direct support, due to some issues, Better Off quickly bowed out and The Technicolors took their place respectfully for a run that would travel up and down the East Coast and out to the Midwest before concluding April 1st. No stranger to touring alongside one another, The Maine and Mayday Parade have been touring comrades since 2008 and as recently as January and February when they hit the European region together. Both supporting new records, Mayday Parade’s October 2015 release, Blacklines, and The Maine’s March 2015 release, American Candy, The American Lines Tour ’16 has been met with excitement in every city visited. On Friday, March 18th, Huntington Village in New York became infested with concert goers wrapped around the block of The Paramount, ready for a night full of fun times they would soon not forget.
Mates with The Maine on 8123 Management, The Technicolors are a band from the Phoenix, Arizona area begun by Brennan Smiley. Growing after a few local acoustic shows, Smiley soon realized the potential of The Technicolors. Quickly, it became the full band it is today with Troy Lowney (keys), Mike (Nico) Nicolette (bass), and Sean Silverman (guitar, vocals). Combining the ideals of ’90s Grunge and Alternative Rock with the styles of British Pop, The Technicolors have released 2012’s debut album, Listener, and more recently the EP Ultraviolet Disguise in 2015.
Ready to get the evening started, Smiley took the helm to play a solo set. With his British sleek style, pins on his blazer, and just the right amount of product in his hair, Smiley opened up with their upbeat tune, “I’ll Love You Someday.” Even though it was just him with an electric guitar and a synth track behind him, it still packed a punch. Displaying vocals that can be compared to Jeff Buckley, the opening song, on its own, stood out as Smiley shredded on guitar as all of the girls screamed in excitement. Next came “Sweet Time” as he showed off another side of his talents with strong falsetto vocals.
Next, Smiley played the smooth “Feels Like Trouble” acoustically. Certainly a song to easily dance to and sway, it got the crowd going a little bit more. He kept the momentum going with the upbeat “Please Don’t Say You Told Me So.” Then, to many’s surprise, Smiley’s offered up a cover of The Doors’ “Break On Through.” The beat was quite steady and calm, and the older crowd gave off a very excited response as Smiley’s showcased more of his falsetto than any other track he has performed before. Finally, he played their single, “Tonight, You Are Mine,” which plays with dynamic range as his voice slid up and down. It all proved to be a delightful set and shows The Technicolors are a band with enormous potential.
Up next was co-headliners, out of Tempe, Arizona, The Maine. Consistently growing within their style since their formation in 2007, The Maine, themselves, have not changed. Consisting of John O’Callaghan (lead vocals, piano), Jared Monaco (lead guitar), Kennedy Brock (rhythm guitar, vocals), Garrett Nickelsen (bass guitar), and Patrick Kirch (drums), The Maine are a group of musicians who have stayed true to their love for music as they build a stronger following each passing year. From their early efforts of 2008’s Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop, 2010’s Black & White, to their more mature Alternative Rock-leaning, later work including 2013’s Forever Halloween and of course last year’s American Candy, The Maine are only getting better with age. Having last visited the Long Island area for the first annual Billboard Hot 100 Festival at Jones Beach in August of 2015, the area was ready for a full-blown set from the band.
With flashy lights and their classic M logo in the backdrop, The Maine stepped onto the stage with black and white color schemes, all dressed to the nines. They started with their classic ballad, “Into Your Arms,” and the charismatic lead singer, O’Callaghan, gave the audience a chance to sing. Next came “Don’t Stop Now,” off of Black and White, which came with a perky beat that had everyone moving. Mixing it up, album title track “American Candy” offered the audience the band’s newer sound as O’Callaghan began to shake his hips. Meanwhile, Kennedy showed off strong backup vocals as he and O’Callaghan fed off one another.
Going into “Inside of You,” everyone continued to bounce around and sing along as The Maine flowed into early hit “Girls Do What They Want.” During the latter song, O’Callaghan paused mid-song to ask everyone to put away their phones. Grabbing the attention of everyone, he claimed that singing on this stage made him feel the most alive. Making a deeper connection with the room, everyone seemed more united for the rest of the show as The Maine continued to carry out their positive message of forever youthfulness. Keeping the set interactive, O’Callaghan brought three fans from the audience onto the stage and got them to sing background parts as well. It was a standout point during the show, and The Maine fed off the positivity as they followed up with the spunky and catchy track “Diet Soda Society,” which had the whole floor of the venue shaking. Going into their latest single “Am I Pretty?” before “Right Girl,” everyone sang along as they swayed to the rhythm.
Showing the darker side of their sound, they later played Forever Halloween song “Ice Cave.” Monaco had a chance to shine with some awesome shredding on guitar. Then, bringing back the more danceable music, American Candy’s “Same Suit, Different Tie” came before “Like We Did (Windows Down),” a song which O’Callaghan encouraged the fans to create memories, and to flirt with the people next to them. Continuing to amp up even more excitement, “Misery” saw O’Callaghan quote American Author Charles Bukowski with the words, “Find what you love and let it kill you.” A philosophy that allows one to think, The Maine certainly understands the power of the message as they kept the good vibrations coming with “My Heroine,” followed by the fun song “English Girls.” With the set winding down, they flashed back to their earlier days to play “Everything I Ask For,” which led to a jam session where Kennedy and Garrett took the spotlight as O’Callaghan danced around, taking in the moment. This led to the finale of friendly song “A Night on Mars,” which ended with the fans and the band all singing together, a capella. To say The Maine put on an uplifting show would be an understatement. This band knows exactly how to keep their audience engaged, but most of all conveys a great message; have fun, take nothing for granted, and make the most of life.
The last treat for the evening came with Tallahassee, Florida’s Mayday Parade. With roots dating back to 2005, the band has come a long way in the last decade, releasing five popular studio albums and touring internationally. Looking to break the trend of being predictable and wanting to expand their horizons, many would agree Blacklines is an album that sees Mayday Parade go for a more raw and gritty Rock sound. A bold step forward at this point in their career, Vocalist Derek Sanders, Bassist Jeremy Lenzo, Drummer Jake Bundrick, as well Guitarists Brooks Betts and Alex Garcia were ready to bring a plentiful mix of new and old tunes to their dedicated followers who filled up The Paramount.
As the lights went down, Mayday Parade stepped on the stage with a large buildup of anticipation before they lifted off with “One of Them Will Destroy The Other,” showing a tougher, more aggressive side to their sound. Sanders, tall, lanky, and dressed in long locks, brought the audience to an uproar as he belted out the words. Next, they performed their 2007 single “Jaime All Over” as everyone sang in unison and reflected on the early days of the band. Following up with the emotional track “When You See My Friends,” a plethora of acoustic textures put the audience in a trance that had them digging into the subject matter of the lyrics, which are to stand up for someone you care about, even when others do not approve of that person.
Remaining extremely active, Mayday Parade swung their guitars around and moved in tireless fashion going into “Keep in Mind, Transmogrification is a New Technology,” a mildly aggressive track with changing tempos and multiple influences from Ska to California Rock. Next, they play the soft track “Three Cheers for Five Years,” from 2007’s Tales Told By Dead Friends EP, which is another flashback to early Warped Tour days. The breakdown seems heartfelt and sincere as Sanders appeared moved by the audience’s participation. Riding high, they went into another new song, entitled “Hollow,” a more mischievous and dark composition played in a minor key. The dramatic atmosphere was not lost on this crowd who had their eyes locked on the stage as the band kept going with the more acoustic ballad “Letting Go,” followed by “Terrible Things,” confessing the story about a couple in love, a struggle when one of them has cancer, and a long felt love. With Sanders performing the song acoustically and solo, he had the help of the audience to sing as everyone joined in.
Balancing the emotions of their music, “Oh, Well” brought back the dancing as “Just Out of Reach” followed and Sanders swung around the microphone with flair. Then, a song fans associated with hope , “I’d Hate To Be You When People Find Out What This Song is About” came in calmly as Sanders sang passionately while waving to the crowd-surfers as they reached out to grab his hand. Bouncing from the past to the present, “Ghosts” came before Black Lines’ “Let’s Be Honest” and the Pop Punk favorite “Black Cat” as a mosh pit even broke out during the chorus. Breaking off and bidding the audience goodnight, a sea of cheers prompted the band’s return for an encore that began with the soft, sweet song “Kids In Love.” Then, as their last hurrah, they offered early song “Jersey,” which sent the crowd into one final floor-rattling frenzy.
The Maine and Mayday Parade are fitting touring partners. With a long history together, neither band ceased to amaze and always have something new to bring to the table. Both bands will be traveling on the Vans Warped Tour this summer, so while The American Lines ’16 tour is all but over, there is still something to look forward to in just a few short months.
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