Live: The Maine in Phoenix

The Modern Nostalgia Tour is now winding down after trekking all over the country. With powerhouse veterans The Maine hosting up-and-comers Night Riots and Dreamers, this lineup was created to kill. Their stop in Phoenix, however, stood out from the rest of the tour—it was a homecoming show for The Maine. The Van Buren was packed, if not sold out, for the show, including friends and family of the band. Many members of the crowd had been following The Maine for years, some of them since the beginning of their career. With all the nostalgia of The Modern Nostalgia Tour, it’s important to note the phenomenal openers. Night Riots have visited The Valley several times in the past year, including a headlining tour and opening up for Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. Phoenix certainly loves them, and they always manage to get the crowd moving, no matter the venue. Their set this time featured a beautiful tribute to Tom Petty, a drum solo that included the whole band, and a closing number, “Contagious,” that brought the whole venue to it’s feet. DREAMERS has also stopped through Phoenix a few times in the past year. Last spring, they opened up for The Griswolds at Valley Bar, as well as The Head and The Heart at The Marquee. A three-piece from New York, DREAMERS shouldn’t be underestimated for their size. Brinding a mix of radio-ready alt pop and rough-and-tumble indie rock, they offer something to everyone in a crowd. DREAMERS are certainly a name with promise in the scene, and judging by the new material they premiered, we may be looking at a release in 2018. The Modern Nostalgia tour is set up a little differently from most. It features the albums Lovely Little Lonely and American Candy played in their entirety, in order. It’s not unusual for artists to swap a set list for an album track list, but it’s generally done on anniversaries of albums released 5+ years ago. In this case, however, neither album is more than three years old, and both were released in the spring. It’s a new approach, but it went over quite well. The set actually featured a physical break—almost like an intermission—between the two albums, as well as a change in tone. The Maine powered through Lovely Little Lonely, taking almost no breaks and speaking little, if at all, between songs. After the break, however, the band was much more eager to connect, asking the audience to create “the right amount of fucking chaos.” Throughout playing American Candy, the members reminisced about the beginning of their career, shouted their parents out, and shared stories of their hometown of Phoenix. With 10 years under their belts, The Maine are no strangers to the stage. Their presence is that of polished musicians who know how to rock—although the white suits certainly add a touch of sophistication. These guys know how to get a crowd excited. The Phoenix stop of The Modern Nostalgia tour was nothing if not nostalgic. The Maine said during that their set that they wanted to remember the Phoenix show—not the following stop in California—as the most meaningful one of the tour, and they certainly made good on that promise. We look forward to more dates for The Maine, as well as Night Riots and DREAMERS. -Kelly Fox