Photos: Abigail McNatt Photography
Review: Chris “Oberrated” Ober
As easy as it is to call bands emo, pop-punk, punk rock, or just general rock’n’roll bands, sometimes there are certain bands that, to me, can transcend a genre. They become their own vibe, energy, and style. With that said, a band that comes to mind often when I think of that concept is The Maine. So, it was my pleasure to attend their I Love You, but I Chose the Maine Tour as it made its way to a chaotic North Shore in Pittsburgh, preparing for the NFL Draft and shutting down many of the roads surrounding Stage AE. Don’t fret though, The Maine and the glorious bands they brought along have the kind of fans that would climb mountains in order to attend their shows and this one was packed.
Here for their last show of the tour was Friday Pilots Club. What happened with my experience with seeing them is one of my favorite scenarios to play out. I attended this show with zero knowledge of the band and zero expectations. As the show started, the five-piece band came out to the usual chatty crowd awaiting the night to begin, and in this moment is what makes or breaks an opener. Friday Pilots Club said hello and started jamming to the tune of their song “Sleeping on the Ceiling.” In no time at all, the wild vocal range of lead singer Caleb Hiltunen and the overall talent of the band were on full display, quickly turning the crowd into fans as they danced and jammed along. They were the definition of catching a vibe.
The next band, as well as the rest of the bill, I have seen two or more times over the years. As for NIGHTLY, this was my second time and my expectations were the opposite of Friday Pilots Club because I know NIGHTLY now, I love their music, and they have never put on a bad show. For this run, they put together a setlist carefully crafted to showcase both their soulful and vibey sounds that are perfect for a late night drive, and their bops that make it impossible not to dance. For “just” the second billed band, their fans came out in droves, and a large portion of the crowd was grooving and singing to all of their favorite NIGHTLY songs, old and new.
Hailing from Philadelphia, Grayscale was next up to grace the stage. I’ll reserve my feelings for Philly right now as we’re in the middle of the round 1 NHL playoffs where Pittsburgh is facing Philadelphia, but lead singer Collin Walsh did make the passionate fans in the crowd laugh as he poked fun at his own team for “not being good for the past 10 years.” Jokes and sports aside, what is not a joke is the energy and electricity Grayscale pumps into every crowd every-damn-time. Performing a solid range of their discography within a tight setlist, they delivered fan favorites like “Some Kind of Magic,” “Kept Me Alive,” and “Fever Dream.” This may go down as the best Grayscale performance I’ve seen as the intensity, stage presence, and Collin’s vocals were on another level this night.
Listen, I love everyone that wanted to make plans with me on this warm April Tuesday night, but I chose The Maine. Once banger after banger wrapped up from three straight bands, it was time for the MAINE event. As if the crowd needed any more fuel after the unreal performances from Friday Pilots Club, Nightly, and Grayscale, the stage cleared, the lights dimmed, and each band member, one by one, began to take their place. That included John “The Ghost” O’Callaghan donning a custom Pittsburgh Pirates jersey fresh off the mound from throwing out the first pitch at PNC Park just next door to Stage AE. But that was just the pre-show– now it was time for The Maine to be drowned in a mixture of sound, cheers, and neon lights.
As I’ve said before, will say again, probably until the end of time: The Maine never fails to put on one hell of a show. Every member takes full advantage of every inch of the stage; John is electrifying — feeling every beat and belting every line — and guitarist Garrett delivers one of the wildest performances you’ll see from an instrumentalist. To open their set with “Thoughts I Have While Lying in Bed” just proves how deep their catalog runs. From there, the band kept the crowd loud and proud, hitting favorites old and new like “Right Girl” and “Quiet Part Loud.” And with their newest album freshly released, Joy Next Door (released 4 days prior to this show), the fans have clearly had it on repeat all weekend long preparing for the show.
As the evening was coming to a close, The Maine closed out their core set with “Take Me Dancing,” a song John wrote for his dad. It made for an extra special moment as The Maine brought out every band on the tour, with each lead singer joining in on the chorus. After a brief break, the encore kicked in with “Dirty, Pretty, Beautiful” and the inevitable yet legendary “Black Butterflies and Deja Vu.” The funny thing about this encore to me though is that while the final song may have had the loudest sing-a-long, that same level of energy was present throughout the entire headlining set. The Maine are nothing short of electric and proving time and time again that their music is truly timeless.
