8123 | Festival Review

In January, The Maine celebrated their 12 year anniversary of being a band with a two-day music festival in Phoenix, Arizona. It also celebrated the anniversary of their first album “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop”. Night one consisted of just The Maine. They opened the show with the first single off their upcoming record. Although the song ‘Numb Without You’ had only been released a few days before the show, the crowd already knew all the words. The rest of the show, the band played fan favorites like ‘Black Butterflies and Deja Vu’, but this was also accompanied by several deep cuts like ‘Color’. The juxtaposition of old and new material made it a show all fans could enjoy.

The second day of the fest had several artists including Real Friends, We the Kings, This Century, and Twin XL. These bands did an outstanding job of warming everyone up for The Maine. Every band had its own unique sound, so it never got repetitive. Lines for food and bathrooms were obnoxiously long, but no one let that ruin their day. All day, everyone was like one big family. When it was finally time for The Maine, it seemed as though everyone got closer. The night capped ended with The Maine playing the album “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop” in full. The band went above and beyond with their pyro and stage design. Everything was adorned in white and gold, just like the album cover. There would have been no better way to celebrate this album. The Maine knows how to throw a festival. You could immediately tell they poured their hearts into it and made sure everyone had the best experience possible. 8123 Fest was easily one of the best festivals I have ever attended. If you missed the fest, The Maine will be playing a few one-off shows for the release of their album. And then they will be heading out on tour with Taking Back Sunday. The band’s upcoming album “You Are OK” drops March 29.

Review By: Kiya Gaskin
Photo By: Unknown