The Maine Lights Up More Than "Half A Spark" at the House of Blues Anaheim

On August 21st, a band called The Maine performed at the House of Blues in Anaheim on the second stop of The Tour Next Door. As The Maine’s second tour celebrating the release of their tenth studio album, Joy Next Door, it promised a different kind of show than fans are used to. Two sets, one night: each show would feature a stripped down set and a full band set. After their hugely successful I Love You But I Chose The Maine tour, which saw the band playing the biggest shows in their 20 year career, this tour was the perfect way to bring their longtime and new fans back to hear the songs they would never get to at a typical show. While many bands will include an acoustic song or two in their setlist, it’s a completely different experience hearing a stripped down version of a song you love.

First, pop-rock band Hellogoodbye brought us back to the MySpace era. Formed in California in 2001, they’ve been around the block, especially singer Forest Kline. Joined by founding keyboardist and guitarist Jesse Kurvink and drummer Adam Halferty, the trio had a casual, jam band-esque vibe about them. With string lights strewn across the stage and their instruments, it almost felt like being in a bedroom while they were making beats and coming up with lyrics. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Hellogoodbye set without playing their biggest hit, “Here (In Your Arms),” which got the whole place dancing.

Finally, The Maine kicked off the Quiet portion of their set with a stripped down version of “Bad Behavior,” which is usually one of their most upbeat and popular songs, giving it a complete makeover. Another spirited fan favorite, “Into Your Arms,” from their debut album, was a whole different feeling hearing it performed that way. Everyone in the band, which consists of frontman John O’Callaghan, guitarist Jared Monaco, bassist Garrett Nickelsen, guitarist Kennedy Brock and drummer Patrick Kirch, was involved, crafting a special experience for their remarkably dedicated fans. They included their cover of Shania Twain’s “You’re Still The One,” which was released in 2016 along with several other covers.

I saw multiple people wiping at their eyes after a sobering rendition of “These Four Words,” an incredibly personal deep-cut off of The Maine’s fourth album, Forever Halloween. O’Callaghan remarked that the “boohoo shit” would be over soon and everyone could start having fun. They went on to finish the intimate part of their set by kicking the sound and energy up a bit for “How to Exit a Room,” before leaving the stage.

They came back to everyone’s new favorite from Joy Next Door, “Half A Spark,” stirring the crowd from their brief intermission. They continued their Loud portion of the show with a no holds barred set of bangers, old and new. Some exciting surprise deep cuts included “Identify,” and “I Must Be Dreaming,” and getting to hear several songs off the new album was transcendent. O’Callaghan mentioned that Kirch’s father, Bill, was in the audience, and when asked, said he wanted to hear “Do You Remember (The Other Half of 23)” from the band. They joked that they might not remember how to play it right, and ended up playing part of it, with O’Callaghan reading the words from a fan’s phone.

They finished the show with their biggest song, “Black Butterflies and Déjà Vu,” the entire crowd jumping up and down. If there’s one thing about The Maine, it’s that their fans will always show up for them, and the band always returns all their love back to them. The other thing about The Maine is that they are one of the most fun bands to see live. As someone who has been seeing them for over a decade, they keep finding ways to improve and reinvent their live shows, and I will keep showing up.