Mayday Parade Takes the Sherman Stage

Mayday Parade was accompanied by The Maine and The Technicolors. Photo Credit / Amy Lukac Mayday Parade was accompanied by The Maine and The Technicolors. Photo Credit / Amy Lukac
Mayday Parade was accompanied by The Maine and The Technicolors. Photo Credit / Amy Lukac
Mayday Parade was accompanied by The Maine and The Technicolors.
Photo Credit / Amy Lukac

By Lauren Shook
A&E Editor

Mayday Parade, The Maine and The Technicolors performed at the Sherman Theater on March 17. The concert gave fans a St. Patrick’s Day to remember.

Mayday Parade is currently on The American Lines tour, following the release of their newest album “Black Lines.”

Brooks Betts, guitarist of Mayday Parade, made some time before the concert for an interview.

The fact that a member of the band would set aside some time before a performance demonstrates the band’s appreciation of their fans.

According to Betts, their first three shows had sold out, making for an excellent start to The American Lines Tour.

Baltimore had been the best stop on the tour so far, in Betts’ opinion. “That was the best energy of the whole tour,” he stated.

The band’s drummer, Jake, came up with the album title “Black Lines.”

“It doesn’t have a ton of meaning within the words themselves, besides the feeling that it gives,” said Betts, “it describes the music and the darker feeling in general.”

Producer Mike Sapone, who has worked with bands such as Taking Back Sunday and Brand New, was influential in the creation of “Black Lines.”

“Because we are big fans of that type of music, we wanted to do something that was along those lines…at least more aggressive than our older material,” said Betts.

Mayday Parade has worked with The Maine in the past, and they enjoy touring with them currently.

“It’s a great relationship, we know the guys real well,” said Betts, “it’s a very comfortable atmosphere.”

Touring makes for a busy schedule, so bandmates find their own ways to unwind between performances. Some members read, play video games and write new music in their spare time.

Betts has an interest in reading about topics raising awareness for conservation. He believes it is a subject that everyone should take the time to learn about so they can educate themselves on what they can do to help out in their own hometowns.

“I’ve sought after a lot of information on my local area and the natural world around it,” said Betts, “I’m constantly trying to better myself as well as get [my] hands dirty, and work outside on things that I could do to help learn, do and hopefully inspire other people to get on the train.”

To start the concert, Brennan Smiley of The Technicolors performed a set. Without the rest of the band behind him, he performed several songs solo and revealed talented vocals.

Mayday Parade performed hits both from their previous and newest albums at the St. Patrick’s Day show. Photo Credit / Amy Lukac
Mayday Parade performed hits both from their previous
and newest albums at the St. Patrick’s Day show.
Photo Credit / Amy Lukac

On his final song, he showcased his massive skill on guitar, which impressed the audience.

Next, The Maine took the stage to a crowd of screaming fans. They performed several songs that pumped up the crowd, and brought some great energy to the start of the concert.

One of the best parts of their set was when singer John O’Callaghan invited a man onto stage dressed head to toe in St. Patrick’s Day gear.

The man claimed to be “Pat McCrotch from New Jersery, Ireland,” and gave everyone in the crowd a good laugh as O’Callaghan tried to teach him the words to their song “Girls Do What They Want.”

The audience erupted into deafening cheers as Mayday Parade prepared to come on.

Their concert was composed of a combination of their older hits along with tracks from their newest album “Black Lines”: “One of Them Will Destroy the Other,” “Hollow” and “Keep In Mind, Transmogrification Is a New Technology.”

“We’re pretty chill these days,” Betts had said, explaining the behavior of their crowds.

The statement definitely seemed accurate at the show. There were few arguments among fans, who were completely captivated with the band’s performance.

The newer songs from “Black Lines” brought a unique, more hardcore feeling to the concert, while their older songs brought their die-hard fans total joy and nostalgia.

Mayday Parade knows just how to entertain their fans. The band members kept the energy high throughout the concert by showcasing their musical talent.

Fans left pleased and smiling, chatting excitedly about their favorite parts of the show. That seems like a pretty good outcome to me.

Mayday Parade will continue to tour until the beginning of April. When faced with the opportunity to see Mayday Parade perform live, I would absolutely recommend it to anyone.

Their recent album “Black Lines” is available both on iTunes and in stores. If you’re curious about the band’s shift in direction, you should definitely take a listen.

Email Lauren at:
lshook2@live.esu.edu