Mayday Parade
March 16, 2016
Baltimore Soundstage- Baltimore, MD
Mayday Parade is a five piece pop punk band from Tallahassee, FL. They have been a band for ten years and their fan base has grown quite large over the years. The members of the band include Derek Sanders (lead vocalist), Brooks Betts (guitarist), Alex Garcia (guitarist), Jeremy Lenzo (bassist/vocalist), and Jake Bundrick (drummer/vocalist). On March 16, 2016, Mayday Parade headlined the American Lines Tour alongside The Maine with The Technicolors as the opener at Baltimore Soundstage.
On the night of the show, there was a whole lot of excitement in the room. Just before Mayday Parade took the stage, the lights went dark and their mood-setting song Look Up and See Infinity, Look Down and See Nothing played as the anticipation from the crowd rose. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, the five boys from Tallahassee ran onstage full of energy and enthusiasm. They wasted no time and jumped right into their first song of the night, One of Them will Destroy the Other. For the duration of the show, Mayday Parade played songs from their newest album Black Lines such as One of Us, Keep in Mind Transmogrification is a New Technology, Letting Go, and Hollow. The band also played some songs from previous albums like 
Kids in Love, Three Cheers for Five Years, Black Cat, and Ghosts.
As usual, Mayday Parade put on a great performance for the audience. Sanders jumped and whipped his head around so that his long hair flopped along to the beat of the music. Garcia and Betts looked like they were having the time of their lives jumping and running back and forth to either side of the stage to pump up the crowd even more, smiling all the while. The band’s stage presence was engaging and demanding in the greatest way possible. The high energy level onstage along with all the bright, flashing lights had the crowd buzzing with excitement and singing along to every word. As the show went on, the energy level onstage kept going up and up. However, the entire show was not all loud music and flashy lights. The acoustic guitar was brought out when Sanders played their song Terrible Things while the crowd turned on the flashlights on their phones, waved them side to side, and sang along. Shortly after, Sanders gave a heartwarming speech in which he took the time to thank the fans for all of their support and commitment throughout the years and encouraged fans to enjoy life and live it to the fullest. His speech was received by the crowd with loud cheers and applause.
The show ended with one of the band’s more popular songs, Jersey, during which there were many crowd surfers making their way to the front of the venue, giving Sanders high fives and handshakes when they made it all the way to the stage. Mayday Parade did a great job at making sure that the crowd was as much a part of the show as they were, which made for a very entertaining and fun experience. Overall, it was a great night filled with cheering, crowd surfing, and lots of singing. Mayday Parade is definitely a band worth seeing if you ever get the chance.
The Maine is an alternative band from Tempe, AZ and have been a band for nine years. The members include John O’Callghan (lead vocalist), Garrett Nickelsen (bassist), Pat Kirch (drummer), Kennedy Brock (guitarist), and Jared Monaco (guitarist).
The Maine took the stage on a Wednesday night right after The Technicolors finished their opening set. The Maine opened with one of their most popular songs from 2008 called Into Your Arms. The crowd was elated to see their favorite band from Tempe, AZ singing an old favorite. They continued their set with some songs from their newest album, American Candy. When they played their song American Candy, red, white, and blue lights flashed all around and filled the venue with color. They also played Girls Do What They Want from a previous album, which brought to the stage the first crowd surfer of the night, a little boy who made it all the way to the front and was invited by O’Callaghan to join the band onstage to sing along. The fans cheered him on as O’Callaghan taught him the words. Once they started the song back up again, the crowd went back to jumping, singing, and cheering; they loved it.
The show continued with more songs from their older albums like I Must Be Dreaming, Misery, and Everything I Ask For. From their new album, they played Same Suit, Different Tie, English Girls, and Am I Pretty?. The show was interspersed with comedic moments, and even a question and answer session with the audience that ended with The Maine singing a quick cover of Smash Mouth’s All Star. They ended the show with their song Another Night on Mars.
Overall, The Maine put on a lively performance. They were so energetic onstage and their upbeat personalities brought a lot of joy to the fans watching them play. It was a great night of laughs and good music.
By: Cristina Calderón
Mayday Parade
The Maine
The Technicolors
