Down to Earth and up to standards. The only words I have to describe this incredible concert.
Arriving forty minutes after doors opened was not planned, let alone set a good tone for the evening. I quickly scrambled around to find a place in the seats, only to realize the openers had not yet begun. After a sign of relief, I sat down and awaited curtains.
U.S. Royalty set the stage and played a roughly forty-five minute set. Describing themselves as indie and recently releasing a new album, the Washington D.C. based band was not the typical opener. Within the first few songs, I was oddly stuck on trying to pinpoint the genre I would place them in. I kept bouncing around rock, country, and even a little bit of blues in there at times. Nevertheless, the vocals of John Thornley were incredible and one of their last songs especially caught my attention. Overall, U.S. Royalty could be the next up-and-coming thing, watch out guys.
After an intermission full of drinks and casual bathroom conversation, I returned back to my seat and had my camera ready. I knew it was going to be a sold out show, and I wanted some really great crowd shots. I love Gramercy Theatre because it’s acoustics are incredible, and always provides the acts the perfect atmosphere.
The Arizona based band, ran out onto the stage individually, and began with Take What You Can Carry, an unusual pick for such a grand concert. But it worked. Within the first two lines, John O'Callaghan, lead singer, steps away from his microphone, to the roar of six hundred fans compensating for the absence. It was truly incredible and was probably the second I got hooked.
A little further into the set, in the prelude to one of their better known songs, John tells everybody to put their phones away, just for this song, proceeds to call out a couple people who didn’t, and instantly installs the sense of togetherness. Within the four minutes, it felt as if everyone was just lost in themselves, and I have genuinely never seen a band do something like that, it was truly incredible.
A few jam sessions and a couple laughs later, the band goes on to talk to the crowd, and not in the, “How are you all doing tonight?” type. The “You are beautiful, you know that?” “You look like you want to talk, do you have a question?” “Oh, you have a letter for us? Pass it on up.” After I picked my jaw up off the floor, John proceeded, “Final question, ready go!” He picked on a young girl who excitedly told him it was her seventh time seeing them; and after jokingly yelling, “THAT’S NOT A QUESTION!” at her, he proceeded to profusely thank her and the entire room for showing up, and supporting them.
I decided to join the crowd for the last four songs of the set, which happened to be my favorite four songs of theirs. Normally, in this type of ‘pop punk’ genre, most bands give a somewhat obligatory motivational speech, and personally, I tune it out. I normally find it disrespectful, and a little insulting. That being said, when John started out what I knew was going to be the speech, I proceeded to clean out my memory card. John continued, “I mean it. If you had work or school or the worst day of your life, you still had the best day of your life, because you woke up. And even if you didn’t do anything today or you cried on your way here, you woke up.” He even went on to dramatically take a deep breathe, and told the crowd to imitate him, and with the most genuine, unrehearsed tone, I have heard from one of these speeches, he says, “Don’t take that for granted, please.” It took me by surprise because I had never connected with a statutory speech like that before, let alone teared up at the veritableness of it.
He finished the set with “the sixty sixth song we wrote that we’ve played a thousand times.” And it was a doozy, the crowd was jumping, and not a single person wasn’t screaming the lyrics to Run and Forever Halloween. It was one of those “ah-hah” moments.
Hands down, The Maine was a fun show, but what really put them over the top, was there persistent genuineness. Not an intermission that went by without one of them cracking a joke, or talking to a fan, or to the crowd. These guys undisputedly care solely about music and sharing it with the people that love it. They have spent the past eight years playing shows and recording music, and from the looks of it, they aren’t going to stop anytime soon.
This show was one for the books.