Since I first came into possession of their 2015 album American Candy in 2016, I’ve been a fairly casual fan of The Maine. Seeing them live for the third time made me want to be a diehard.

The Maine brought their I Love You But I Chose The Maine tour to Chicago’s iconic Salt Shed April 10. Coinciding with the release date of their tenth studio album Joy Next Door, they were supported by Friday Pilots Club, Grayscale and Nightly.

Joy Next Door is the perfect summer album. Seemingly made with the philosophy “it’s about the journey not the destination” in mind, this is a record about the space between crisis and bliss. In frontman John O’Callaghan’s own words: “Though it can’t guarantee happiness, I hope it’s a reminder that it’s more often than not closer than we think. Or at the very least, it gives you permission to sit in your own in-between without the worry of labeling it as good or bad.”

It’s genuinely impressive to watch a band as active as The Maine maintain their sonic identity without any albums that feel stale or overdone. Veteran fans will love the band they’ve loved for nearly two decades and new fans will know exactly what band they’re getting into. Joy Next Door‘s lead single “Die to Fall” feels like The Maine found a way to bottle nostalgia. Lyrics like “I’ll waste a little time, spill a little wine/think I see our first apartment” evoke a particular sentimentality that can only be shared with someone you’ve loved for several years. This is absolutely an album without skips, but “It’s Not Over” is another highlight, and I’d be remiss to neglect naming the Salt Shed show as the live debut of “Green”, another standout track.

Their set kicked off with “Another Night on Mars”, a love letter to friends who make you feel like you belong in an otherwise alienating world and a personal favorite of mine. Between beloved tracks like “Taxi” and “Loved You a Little”, O’Callaghan delighted the crowd with unfiltered quips like “I’m a greedy little piggy, let’s go!” and “When ‘Touch’ starts, we all go fuckin’ bananas – we all go bananas!” It could have been the album’s green color palette or the rush of release day, but The Maine’s performance was, in a word, energized. The previous two shows I’d seen weren’t dull by any means, but the band seemed particularly refreshed. That green theme spread to the green light up cowboy hats illuminating the heads of some fans to the balloons bopped around by the crowd at the barricade. It’s been nearly twenty years since the release of their debut EP Stay Up, Get Down, but these pop punk phenoms show no signs of slowing down.

Near the end of the show, The Maine brought the supporting bands onstage for a performance of “Take Me Dancing”. Despite being in front of a crowd of over 3,000 people, it felt like walking down a sidewalk on your way home from school and seeing a party in the garage across the street. It was a delightful and genuinely heartwarming moment that set up the end of the show. After “Dirty, Pretty, Beautiful”, the show closed with “Black Butterflies and Deja Vu”, the second single off their 2017 album Lovely Little Lonely and another track I hold close to my heart. Its theme of struggling to find words to express your feelings to the person you love is timeless, and they capture it perfectly in just under three and a half minutes.

The first time I saw The Maine was at Newport Music Hall during the Fry Your Brain with The Maine Tour 2018, but I was there specifically for The Wrecks. The second time I saw them was at Warped Tour later that same year, very much in the way of “Oh, they have some songs I like. Let’s check them out!” They were much more passive concert experiences, so this really felt like my first real opportunity to actually watch their live show. My biggest takeaway was feeling like their raw professionalism was the only thing that betrayed their status as an established band accustomed to headlining tours. Otherwise, they had the energy and undiluted passion as newer acts on the scene. At no point did I feel like they were ticking off a list of songs that they simply must do because the fans will riot if they don’t get played. This is a band that knows who they are, are excellent at what they do and love every minute of it.

I just hope anyone who brought their significant others held them tight that night. This truly was a show that very well could have had someone turning to their partner to confess: “I love you, but I chose The Maine.”

You can find the remaining dates of I Love You, But I Chose the Maine here. Find out if they’re coming to a city near you here!

All photos were taken by the author and edited by Jonathan Knoell.