Lights lit up as Mayday Parade and The Maine took the stage Saturday night at Alumni Hall in the HUB-Robeson Center.
Hours before the show began, students began to line up from the second floor entrance of the HUB all the way down to the Penn State Bookstore.
“There were a lot of students that came tonight and the show was so successful and it was great to see everyone having a great time,” Student Programming Association Late Night Chair Corey Jackson said.
The Maine kicked off the night with its hit song, “Like We Did (Windows Down)” off of its third release, “Pioneer.” Although The Maine is primarily known for its first release “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop,” the band had made a great impression upon some members of the crowd with its newer material and intricate interludes.
“I was so impressed with The Maine’s performance tonight,” Sam Borges (sophomore–bioengineering) said. “They’ve matured so much as a band from the last time I saw them in high school and tonight they blew me away.”
The Maine was able to show its range within its live show, using multiple microphones, vocal mixer, piano, guitar pedal boards and a synthesizer.
After The Maine’s performance, Mayday Parade took the stage. The band opened up its set with the song, “Stay,” from its self-titled record. The crowd responded by singing along with lead vocalist, Derek Sanders. In between songs, the band showed its personality by thanking the crowd for its generosity and support for the band since its existence.
The band ended its set with “Black Cat,” from the group’s sophomore release “A Lesson in Romantics”. But, the crowd wanted more, chanting “one more song” until Mayday Parade came back with the first song they ever wrote, “Three Cheers for Five Years.”
“This was a classic Mayday Parade show,” Erin Hill (sophomore-environmental resource management) said. “You can definitely tell Mayday Parade has been in the music industry for seven years,”
In an interview before the concert, Mike Marquis, booking agent for Mayday Parade, wrote, “Not a lot of bands from [the alternative rock] scene have persevered the way The Maine and Mayday Parade have. It's quite an honor to play for the college demographic, whose collective taste define alternative music.”
