The Maine Bring 19 Years of Alternative Rock Energy to Cologne

The Maine have been a fixture of the alternative music scene for nearly two decades. Formed in Arizona in 2007, right as emo and pop-punk were surging in popularity, the band steadily built a devoted fanbase through emotionally driven lyrics, upbeat pop-rock hooks, and a distinctive indie aesthetic. Over the years, they’ve evolved from their pop-punk beginnings into a more mature, atmospheric sound.

On September 17, The Maine brought their “I Love You, But I Chose The Maine” tour to Stadthalle in Cologne. By the time I arrived, an hour before doors, the merch line was already long, and fans had staked out spots right at the edge of the stage — there was no photo pit to separate them from the performers.

Standing in the crowd, one thing stood out immediately: the audience skewed young, with Gen Z clearly in the majority. Unlike at many alternative shows, there was little in the way of eccentric fashion — mostly just regular-looking young people, no extreme outfits or elaborate hairstyles.

Around 9:15 p.m., after a 45 minutes guest band set of Grayscale and half an hour stage reset, The Maine finally took the stage. The reaction was instant and deafening. They opened with “Thoughts I Have While Lying in Bed,” off their 2023 self-titled album, and the crowd was singing along from the very first notes — clear proof of how deep their fanbase in Cologne runs.

The setlist ranged widely, pulling from nearly all ten of the band’s studio albums. I went in without much familiarity with their catalog, but that stopped mattering within a few songs — the performance was infectious enough to have me bobbing along regardless.

Frontman John O’Callaghan owned the stage with the ease of someone who’s spent almost two decades performing live, moving fluidly between songs and keeping the crowd locked in even during the slower numbers. Guitarists Jared Monaco and Kennedy Brock traded the spotlight throughout, firing off sharp riffs and bringing constant motion to the show, while bassist Garrett Nickelsen and drummer Patrick “Pat” Kirch held down a rhythm section that never let up.

Down on the floor, the energy stayed high the entire night, with the crowd fully unguarded — just people enjoying the moment together.

As the show wound down, the intensity only grew. The Maine leaned further into their nostalgic catalog, and tracks like “Black Butterflies and Déjà Vu” sent the crowd into one last wave of singing and dancing, closing out the night on a high.

Accreditation: Concertteam NRW