The Maine Delivers High Energy to MA Warped Tour

By: Angelina Berube
Posted In: Entertainment

Just yesterday Garrett Nickelsen, 19, felt as though he was trying to figure out how to get out of his classes in high school. Now all he has to worry about is playing in front of thousands of fans daily on this summer’s Vans Warped Tour.

Nickelsen, the bassist in The Maine, has had a whirlwind of a year with his band. The Maine appeared on the cover of Alternative Press magazine and co-headlined the Alternative Press Tour. They also recently digitally rereleased their debut full length album, “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop” with bonus tracks and a documentary.

The crowds on the Warped Tour have taken notice of The Maine’s sets. “I had no idea where we were at or anything like that, so it’s cool to see kids who normally we don’t see at shows come out and have a good time and show their love,” Nickelsen said. At the Massachusetts date, which was filled with constant rain, The Maine played at 8:15 p.m., the last time slot. Thousands of people stuck around for their set.

Warped Tour is a summer long excursion. This is The Maine’s second year appearing on the tour and the first year traveling in a bus. Although Nickelsen says he enjoys the bus, he also misses their van. “It really connected well with people because they could go and sign it and stuff,” Nickelsen said. “It was cool to see all the stares we got from it.” Although he misses the van, he would not trade it for the bus on the Warped Tour. The bus gives the band a place to sleep, relax and get out of the heat. When they traveled in a van, the band would be at their merch tent all day in the sun because they had no where else to go.

He also explained how van life and bus life differs. “When you’re living with ten people in a van, your seats are right here instead of like, one’s in the front, two people are in the back playing videogames and someone’s sleeping,” Nickelsen said. “You’re a lot closer in a van, but the bus is awesome.”

Nickelsen explained how the summer weather and length of Warped Tour can make the tour one of the hardest. “If it’s hot, then it drains you and if it’s raining, you’re moody and cold,” Nickelsen said.

Touring all summer also keeps him and the band away from family and friends in Arizona. “We try to live a normal life,” Nickelsen said. “I feel like last time, none of us got into the home setting again. I don’t know if we were home long enough. I feel like all of us have felt that we have been gone since March.”

The Maine has been on the road since March. Before the Warped Tour, The Maine co-headlined the AP tour with 3oh!3, who exploded on the radio. The tour allowed them to reach more people who went to the shows for 3oh!3. “It was cool to gain fans,” Nickelsen said.

Although The Maine has been far from their home in Arizona, they gained friendships with the bands on the AP tour. “Whenever we had an off day, we would all park at the same place and hang out and get dinner,” Nickelsen said.

Nickelsen feels it’s hard to measure the amount of success they recently encountered. “We’re workaholics and nothing is ever like, not good enough, but we take what we have and we appreciate it and we show people that we appreciate it,” Nickelsen said. “We definitely want to see where we can take it.”

The Maine is humble about the success they have experienced as a band. “I feel like I graduated high school yesterday because I was touring before I graduated high school,” Nickelsen said. “It’s hard to grasp.”

Although The Maine does not have any definite plans for the release of their next album, they already have 28 songs written. Nickelsen thinks fans will be excited about the sound of the songs.

“I’m not saying that the whole record is going to remind us of our EP, but it gives me a “The Way We Talk” kind of vibe and I think kids are going to be stoked on that,” Nickelsen said. “The rest sounds like something new.”

Nickelsen also mentioned a special treat for fans which is still under wraps. “It will let kids know what happened everyday on warped tour and pictures,” Nickelsen said. “That will be later in the future.”

After Warped Tour wraps in California on August 23, 2009, The Maine will get some well deserved time off before embarking on a fall tour.