Keep THE MAINE thing THE MAINE thing
The Maine bring ‘I love you, but I choose…’ tour to the Franklin Music Hall
Photos by: Dylan Sheridan (dylansheridanphoto)
Franklin Music Hall rocked the house with The Maine as they celebrated the release of their newest album, Joy Next Door.
Opening the night was Nightly, a self-produced indie pop band from Nashville, Tennessee. Lead singer Jonathan Capeci shared how he used to attend shows at the Philadelphia venue back when it was still called The Electric Factory. Their set was energetic and fun, complete with their iconic neon heart glowing behind them on stage.
After Nightly wrapped up, Philadelphia favorites Grayscale took the stage to an eruption from the hometown crowd. Their set was upbeat, loud, and packed with energy. Crowd surfers floated nonstop across the barricade, but one moment stood out above the rest: a young fan crowd surfing in a wheelchair. Lead singer Collin Walsh leaned over from the stage to give them a fist bump before security helped them out of the pit. It was one of those moments that perfectly captured the spirit of a live show.
Nightly
Grayscale
Finally, it was time for The Maine. Since the show was so packed, the photo pit filled up early, so I waited until after the third song to hop in alongside my fellow photographer Evan once there was a little more breathing room. I entered just after they finished performing “Die To Fall,” one of the standout tracks from Joy Next Door.
Going into the night, I was especially excited to hear songs from the new album live. It had been three years since the band’s last full-length self-titled release, not including the Project, Dyed singles. I’ve seen The Maine a handful of times over the years, dating back to when I first caught them touring with The Mowgli’s in 2017. At the time, I was only a casual fan, but with each release, I’ve grown to appreciate the band more and more.
The new album has honestly become one of my favorite projects they’ve released. I’ve caught myself revisiting it constantly both before and after the show. Some of my personal favorites include “Green,” “Palms,” “Quiet Part Loud,” “Die To Fall,” and “It’s Not Over Yet.” My only complaint from the night was that they played only three songs from the new record. I definitely would’ve loved to hear more, but I guess that just means I’ll have to catch them again when they roll through Allentown. On the bright side, the band delivered incredible fan service by pulling at least one song from nearly every era of their catalog.
As a photographer, one of my biggest issues at concerts is usually poor lighting, but this show was the complete opposite. The lighting setup was creative, dynamic, and honestly some of the most fun I’ve worked with in a long time. If you get the chance to catch The Maine on this album run, I highly recommend it, especially if you’ve never seen them live before. They put on an incredible show, and their fanbase is one of the most welcoming crowds I’ve experienced.
The Maine
Toward the end of the night, frontman John O’Callaghan brought out a very special guest from just outside Philadelphia: Kenny Vasoli of The Starting Line. The crowd immediately exploded. As a longtime fan of not only The Starting Line but also Kenny’s side projects Vacationer and Person L, I was just as excited as everyone else in the room. John shared that Kenny was one of the people who inspired him to pursue music, even saying that without him, The Maine may never have existed. Kenny then joked, “They’re letting me play one that I know like the back of my hand,” before the band launched into “Best of Me” to deafening cheers from the audience.
The band closed the night with “Another Night on Mars,” ending a massive 21-song set on a high note. By the time the lights came on, the crowd walked out drenched in sweat after dancing nonstop all night.
After the show, Grace and I headed next door to Doom Bar for nachos while we talked about our favorite moments from the night. For me, highlights included “Blame,” “Sticky,” and “Quiet Part Loud.” Grace’s favorites were “Taxi,” “Sticky,” “Loved You A Little,” and “Palms.”
Overall, it was an incredible night, and I’m really glad I made it out. If you have the opportunity to catch The Maine on this tour or the next, don’t pass it up.
Words by: Dylan Sheridan