The Maine
Franklin Music Hall
421 N 7th St.
Philadelphia
April 17, 2026
In 2007, The Maine played their first show in Philadelphia, or, as the lead vocalist John O'Callaghan put it: "I say 'show' lightly because we didn't sell enough tickets to actually play the show. So they (the now defunct Trocadero, rip) let us play an acoustic set in the parking lot for maybe 11 people."
On April 17 of 2026, almost 20 years after that first “show," John recounted this memory looking out from a real stage to a sold out audience of screaming fans at the 2,700 capacity Franklin Music Hall just a mile or so from the Trocadero's Philadelphia Chinatown location.
The Maine were the young kids on the emo scene, coming of age as a band as bigger groups like Fall Out Boy and Panic! At The Disco were making names for themselves. They're still going strong, with the prolific touring band having just put out their 10th studio album, “Joy Next Door," and having launched their “I Love You, but I Chose The Maine” nationwide tour.
I found the music of The Maine only a few years ago when a friend of mine moved to Philadelphia and introduced me to her favorite group who she gets to see live every few months: When I say they're prolific tourers, I'm not exaggerating. I've never heard of a band playing so many consecutive tours — and let me tell you, their fans revel in it. One fan in the crowd at this Philadelphia show held a sign saying, “You told me I had to hit 50 shows this year and this is my 50th show." These fans follow them around the country, listening to their favorite songs night in and night out. It’s something I'm truly envious of and I wish more bands would do instead of touring only every few years. It feels like live music is dying or rather becoming rare because of price gouging ticket companies paired with the loss of smaller venues around the country. So seeing a great band defy those odds and bring their families on tour (their partners were seen playing with their young children in a gated off area of the parking lot before the show) while doing what they love most — playing in front of their fans — was a breath of fresh air.
“Ok, are you ready?” O'Callaghan asked the crowd, “Sing it loud. And if you don't know it, sing it louder and pretend you do.” And into the show they went. Seamlessly the five member band went from song to song (with too much smoke machine and bright lights for my taste. Good thing they're a band and not a visual show because I could barely see the members of the band with the combination) interacting with their fans, reading their signs and even going into the crowd to let their fans have a chance to sing the songs for them.
Known for bringing out special guests during their shows, this night was no different as The Maine brought out Philadelphia hometown favorite Kenny Vasoli of The Starting Line to finish out their two hour set. As a new fan, and new mom of a one month old running on fumes of sleep, I stayed well past my bedtime, unable to remove myself from the joy this band exuded with their music and stage presence.
