For some, August 27 was just a normal Saturday, but for the fans of The Maine, it was a very special day as they got the chance to witness the Arizona emo group live for “The Maine Back in Manila” concert at the Skydome, SM City North EDSA.
Three years after their “You Are OK” tour in Manila, American rock band The Maine—composed of John O’Callaghan, Pat Kirch, Jared Monaco, Kennedy Brock, and Garrett Nickelsen—has returned to the Philippine center stage for the seventh time for “The Maine Back in Manila,” with both long-time and new Filipino fans filling up the venue with anticipation last August 27.
Kicking off the show at exactly 7:00 P.M. was the Filipino emo/pop punk band Written By The Stars, who served as the front act for the night. The band didn’t fail to deliver an electrifying act as they hit the stage and performed some of their songs, such as “Half Alive,” “Sunset Boulevard,” and “Runaway.”
And by the end of their set, the venue was filled with much more energy, and the crowd was more hyped up, just in time for the next act.
Not long after Written By The Stars’ act was done, the venue was once again filled with the crowd’s loud cheers as the words “The Maine Back in Manila” flashed onto the big screen.
And of course, they were even more fired up when the band of the hour, The Maine, entered the stage and opened their act with their 2021 song “Sticky” from their eighth studio album “XOXO: Love & Anxiety in Real Time,” followed by “Like We Did (Windows Down)” from the album “Pioneer.”
One can say that The Maine rocked the crowd’s world as the ground was literally shaking as vocalist John O’Callaghan instructed the fans to channel their three years’ worth of energy from sitting at home because of the pandemic by jumping to “Numb Without You.”
This kind of energy from the audience continued as The Maine performed “Am I Pretty?” “Slip the Noose,” “High Forever,” “Dirty, Pretty, Beautiful,” and “Taxi.”
In between their act, O’Callaghan addressed the crowd and laid out one rule for them to follow, which is to “f***ing enjoy yourselves tonight.”
He even jested that they would play for five and a half hours, jokingly ignoring the management’s instruction to play from 8:00 P.M. to 9:30 P.M. only.
“They [the management] said that we can only play for an hour and a half, but we’re going to play for five and a half hours. So, all of you who are filming, your hands are gonna get f***ing tired,” he quipped, which caused the venue to vibrate with laughter from the audience.
Fans continued to dance their feet and bang their heads to “How Do You Feel?”, “We All Roll Along,” and “Diet Soda Society.” The Maine also debuted their new song “Box In A Heart,” which has yet to be released on streaming platforms.
O’Callaghan also sang to the chorus of Harry Styles’ “As It Was,” where he told the crowd that he loves the “Fine Line” singer, saying: “No, no, I’m not making fun of Harry Styles. I f***ing love Harry Styles.”
At one point in the show, one lucky fan was brought onstage as O’Callaghan saw the sign he was holding, where he asked the band if he could play their 2013 song “Run” with them. The band granted his request, where they became impressed with the fan’s electrifying, guitar-playing skills.
The show then continued with The Maine playing “Don’t Come Down,” “Bad Behavior,” “Loved You A Little,” and “Black Butterflies and Déjá Vu.”
The Maine closed their act with “Another Night On Mars,” where the crowd sang every word as confetti showered down on them towards the end of the song. They then thanked their Filipino fans and told them to take care of each other.
While the night may have ended, fans of the band have something to hold on to from that Saturday night: the memories from “The Maine Back in Manila,” which will forever be imprinted on their minds, and The Maine’s promise to come back again.
“The Maine Back in Manila” is presented by PULP Live World, and presented by INQUIRER.net, POP!, Q Radio 105.1, and Monster RX 93.1.
This isn’t the first time The Maine held their solo concert in the Philippines. The band had its first concert in 2012. They had also been included in the Bazooka Rocks Festival lineup in 2012 and 2017. The Maine then went to the country in 2014 for their “8123 Tour” with This Century and Nick Santino, in 2015 with All Time Low, and in 2019 for their “You Are OK Tour.”
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