The Maine Radiates Millennial Nostalgia In Anaheim
When The Maine burst onto the scene in 2007, they were firmly rooted in pop-punk, creating catchy tunes about girls and… well, girls. The band’s 2008 debut album, Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, was filled to the brim with teenage angst. I was around 13 years old at the time, and along with bands like All Time Low and Mayday Parade, The Maine became a recurring staple of my iPod Nano playlists.
During the 2010s, however, The Maine changed. Their music gradually shifted toward alternative rock, incorporating more progressive and indie influences, while lead singer John O’Callaghan’s lyrics matured drastically alongside it. To me, it was rare to watch a band like The Maine genuinely grow up with its audience. When I attended the Anaheim stop of their The Tour Next Door tour last week, I was reminded that this evolution is likely a major reason fans have stuck with them so loyally for nearly 20 years.
For this leg of the tour, The Maine opened with an acoustic set, beginning with “Bad Behavior,” one of my favorite songs from what is arguably their best album, 2017’s Lovely Little Lonely. The band members arrived decked out in suits, looking clean-cut from head to toe. This was actually my first time seeing The Maine live, and even though I knew what O’Callaghan looked like nowadays, part of me still had the image of him from two decades ago, rocking the swooping scene-era hairstyle that I failed miserably to recreate during high school.
Next came “Into Your Arms,” the lead single from their debut album. Songs about a beautiful girl were a dime a dozen during that era, but this one took on an entirely different quality through an acoustic arrangement. Stripped back, the lyrics felt less like a straightforward pop-punk love song and more like a nostalgic snapshot of young love and the innocence surrounding it.
“These Four Words” and “Funny How” followed, both fitting naturally into the stripped-down portion of the evening with their gorgeous piano-driven foundations. To close the acoustic set, The Maine picked up the pace with “And Then,” from their latest album, Joy Next Door, and “How to Exit a Room.” The latter made for an especially appropriate finisher in the most meta-sense: once it ended, the band exited the stage.
After a roughly 15-minute intermission, they reappeared in more casual attire and immediately shifted the atmosphere for a full electric set. Songs like “Half a Spark,” “I Think About You All the Time,” “Numb Without You,” and “Die to Fall” demonstrated how The Maine have retained their knack for irresistible hooks while settling comfortably into the more mature sound they’ve developed over the years. The sugary pop of their youth is no longer the foundation of their songwriting, though they still knew exactly when to indulge the audience’s sweet tooth, breaking out the infectious “I Must Be Dreaming” from Can’t Stop Won’t Stop.
There was also room for spontaneity. Drummer Pat Kirch’s father was in the audience that night and requested “Do You Remember? (The Other Half of 23),” which happens to be another personal favorite of mine. The band attempted part of it, only for O’Callaghan to admit that he couldn’t remember the lyrics while the other members tried to piece the song together themselves. The struggle was real, but it also became one of the evening’s funniest and most authentic moments—the kind of interaction that could only happen at a live show.
With an extensive discography spanning 10 albums, The Maine faced the difficult task of representing nearly two decades of music in a single night. I was impressed by how widely they pulled from that catalog, even if every record couldn’t make the cut. Pioneer fans got the funky guitar intros of “Identify” and “Like We Did (Windows Down),” while XOXO: From Love & Anxiety in Real Time was represented by the energetic “Sticky” and “Dirty, Pretty, Beautiful.” They even squeezed in non-album tracks like “Loved You a Little” and “Touch,” giving longtime listeners a few deeper cuts alongside the more obvious favorites. The set closed with “Black Butterflies and Déjà Vu,” one of The Maine’s most beloved songs—and deservedly so. Built around the nervous rush of trying to put love into words, it remains an incredibly captivating track and, in many ways, captures the musical space The Maine eventually grew into.
For my first time seeing The Maine live, the band lived up to my expectations and then some. Splitting the night between acoustic and electric performances gave the show an intimacy that a traditional set might not have achieved, while also allowing their evolution to unfold almost like a retrospective in real time. And they certainly didn’t skimp on material. By the end of the night, The Maine had played 31 songs—a setlist that reflected both the depth of their catalog and the effort they continue to put into an audience that has grown alongside them.
Would it have been even better if they had played my favorite song, “Taxi”? Absolutely. But considering I’ll definitely be back the next time The Maine comes around, there’s always another chance.
