Halloween Eve was a night to remember for concertgoers at Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey. With such a stellar lineup in place for the night, the excitement in the air was almost tangible. The variation in acts for the evening was congruent to the variation in audience members. Every age group and every music lover was in the crowd that night. California natives, From Indian Lakes, took to the stage first. The audience was immediately captivated by their edgy, haunting sound. Comparable to the sounds of The Early November, From Indian Lakes was able to create juxtaposition between quiet, mesmerizing vocals and strong, powerful music. The next supporting act to perform for Starland Ballroom was pop infused alternative band, Lydia. With a more upbeat, feel good approach to their sound, audience members never stopped moving along to the music throughout the entire set. The vocals from Leighton Antelman presented a kind of musicality similar to indie band Never Shout Never and the crowd just couldn’t get enough of his soft, yet quirky sound.
Next it was time for the headlining acts of the evening. First up was alternative rock band, Anberlin. The air in Starland Ballroom completely shifted from the first note of the first song played. Anberlin was the first band of the evening to really take advantage of the stage. They moved, they jumped, they dropped to their knees, and they didn’t just play a show for their fans, but they gave a performance. Because the crowd’s energy level was just as high as the band’s, Anberlin decided to reward Starland Ballroom with some Anberlin classics. The most memorable song of their set was one of their first songs that went big, “A Day Late”. There was not one body that wasn’t moving and the fans in the crowd passionately screamed the lyrics right back to Anberlin.
Finally, it was time for The Maine. As they entered the stage, fans went wild… but it wasn’t just because of their presence. Each member of The Maine was decked out from head to toe in costume to celebrate Halloween. Standout costumes were from drummer Pat Kirch and lead singer John O’Callaghan. Kirch was dressed as a ‘Chick Magnet’ and this costume included a vest covered in magnets. O’Callaghan was your very own Starbucks barista with apron, hat, and Starbucks nametag to match. The Maine kicked things off with current single, “Love & Drugs”. The chemistry between the band members was significant, but what stood out more was the chemistry between the band and the audience. It wasn’t like The Maine was putting on a show for their fans as much as they were hanging out and playing music with 1,500 friends. The band played a mixture of songs from their 4 successful albums, which excited the die-hard fans in the crowd. The Maine gave the crowd a serious throwback with 2008 track, “Girls Do What They Want”. O’Callaghan went down the crowd level to find someone to sing the song with him. Not only did he lend a fan his microphone, but he also had her brought on stage to perform the song in its entirety. Ironic that the Maine’s current album should be entitled Forever Halloween, because on this Halloween Eve, no audience member wanted the night to come to an end.
Written by Vanessa Carlucci
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