The Maine Bring “The Sweet Sixteen Tour” to NYC’s Irving Plaza with flor & Daisy Grenade [Photos]

Pop-punk legends The Maine are celebrating sixteen years as a band and brought “The Sweet Sixteen Tour” to NYC’s Irving Plaza for two sold-out nights. We were able to catch the first night of the tour, during which the band touched on every album in their discography – along with support from NYC locals Daisy Grenade and indie-pop group flor.

Brooklyn-based “power-punk bubble grunge” band Daisy Grenade set the stage on fire with their tracks “Riot,” “Cult Classic,” and “Are You Scared Of Me Yet?” from their sophomore EP Cult Classic released earlier this year. The duo of Dani Nigro and Keaton Whittaker finished their electrifying set with an unreleased cover of Pierce The Veil’s “King For A Day” as well as “Already Dead” and “Skin.”

Hood River, OR band flor took the stage next with tracks “hold on” and “Every Night.” The trio of Zach Grace (vocals, guitar), Dylan Bauld (bass), and Kyle Hill (drums), along with touring guitarist Val Hoyt, got the crowd moving with “Skate” and “Big Shot” from their 2022 album Future Shine – during which Grace told the audience he would pick a fan to receive a Big Shot Hat at the end of the song, proceeding to jump into the crowd after the track to place it on a fan’s head. The band’s lively performance continued with “Same Color as the Sun,” “Imho,” “Future Shine,” and “Play Along.”

Formed in 2007, The Maine consists of John O’Callaghan (lead vocals), Jared Monaco (lead guitar), Kennedy Brock (rhythm guitar), Garrett Nickelsen (bass), and Patrick Kirch (drums). The band was dressed for a celebration – of which “The Sweet Sixteen Tour” definitely is.

The Maine recently released their ninth album (self-titled) on 8/1/23 – a number that for fans is easily recognizable, as “8123” is the address of a parking garage the band would hang out in when they were younger and has gained significance since being a lyric in “We All Roll Along” (from the band’s debut album) as well as the name of their artist collective. Over their sixteen years as a band, The Maine has established themselves as a powerhouse in the industry, from creating the aforementioned artist collective, a yearly music festival, and nine studio albums. They have dedicated fans and continue to gain new ones with their mix of sound from emo to pop, alternative to rock.

The Maine knew how to get the crowd moving with “dose no. 2” from their latest album, followed by “I Must Be Dreaming” off their debut 2008 album Can’t Stop Won’t Stop and “Diet Soda Society” from 2015’s American Candy. The pattern of jumping from album to album would continue throughout the band’s hour-and-a-half & 25-song set, spanning their entire discography. They touched on more new tracks, “how to exit a room,” “thoughts I have while lying in bed,” and “blame” from The Maine, as well as “Numb Without You” from their previous release, 2019’s You Are OK.

Fans never stopped dancing, jumping, and singing along through “Like We Did (Windows Down)” and “Misery” from 2011’s Pioneer and “Right Girl” from 2010’s Black & White while John would fist-bump each crowd-surfer as they made their way to him.

Special parts of the night were during “Sticky” from 2021’s XOXO: From Love & Anxiety In Real Time, when John made his way into the crowd and sang along with fans, and when John brought up a fan all the way from Mexico City for “Girls Do What They Want” from 2008’s Can’t Stop Won’t Stop.

The band’s energy never ceased as they finished running through their discography with “Love & Drugs” and “Forever Halloween” from 2013’s Forever Halloween, “Diet Soda Society” and “(Un)Lost” from 2015’s American Candy, “The Sound of Reverie,” “Don’t Come Down,” “Lost in Nostalgia,” and “Black Butterflies & Déjà Vu” from 2017’s Lovely Little Lonely as well as “We All Roll Along” and “Everything I Ask For” from 2008’s Can’t Stop Won’t Stop. The band and the crowd kept moving until the very end as The Maine closed out with “Dirty, Pretty, Beautiful” and “Another Night on Mars.”

The Maine (w/ flor, Daisy Grenade) at Irving Plaza (NYC) on December 5, 2023

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