The Maine / Moody Joody

Taken by Mali Lares

The Maine closed out their ALL GREEN tour, “I Love You, But I Chose The Maine”, with the last stretch of shows in Texas, with Austin serving as their second-to-last stop. The band has been around since 2007, when they started uploading song covers onto MySpace (the first I heard being “I Wanna Love You” by Akon). Early on, they built a lot of their identity around “8123,” a parking garage in Arizona where they used to hang out, meet fans, and just exist together, and over time, it has come to represent not just a place but a whole community and way of showing up for each other.
What makes this band special, if you aren’t already aware, is just how much they really love their fans and how much of themselves they will give to be able to connect with us. They once had a slogan that asked, “Why would you pay money to meet a human being?” and they have carried that sentiment long before and long after that moment. They will stay past curfews, trying to talk to everyone who waits after the show, handing out setlists, guitar picks, and drumsticks. I have seen them host public meetups, afterparties, you name it. And this
community means so much to them that they have created spaces for fans to connect with each other, too.
Every year that these guys have been around, I’ve thought to myself, “This is amazing, and I don’t think anything they do from this point could top it,” and then they prove me wrong every time, every era, every album. With this new album, Joy Next Door, that sentiment couldn’t be more apparent. This tour, much like most of theirs, pulled from across their entire discography, blending newer songs with older ones in a way that never felt disjointed. Their dramatic lighting fully leaned into the melodrama- hazy beams, sharp contrasts, and a dreamlike intensity. Truly amazing.
As I exited the photo pit after shooting, I struggled to find an elevated spot, knowing full well that singer John O’Callaghan loves to jump into the crowd for at least one song. I moved toward the commotion as best I could, with heads and phones blocking my view. Just as I was about to give up, a group of people noticed me struggling and helped lift me onto the shoulders of a kind stranger. I was able to get the shots right before John made his way back to the stage. And in that moment, it hit me, this is exactly what they stand for: love, kindness, and showing up for one another. It is far from my only example of that, but it's definitely one I won't be forgetting.
8123 FOREVER.