The Maine’s “Love Yourself” and John The Ghost EP

Since the release of American Candy in March of 2015, The Maine toured with Real Friends and Knuckle Puck in the spring throughout the United States. Over the summer, The Maine played at Billboard Hot 100 in New York and in August traveled to Australia with With Confidence in August. The Maine played all the songs off of American Candy at their Free For All tour in Fall of 2015, and they ended 2015 playing a 8123 Holiday Tour. Starting in 2016, The Maine has gone on tour with Mayday Parade across Europe on the Black Lines UK/Europe Tour and again in the United States on a co-headlined tour, the “American Lines Tour ’16.”

The Maine recently covered Justin Bieber’s song “Love Yourself.” “Love Yourself” was released via YouTube (and The Maine’s Website) on April 21st. Pat Kirch, John O’Callaghan, Jared Monaco, Garrett Nickelsen, and Kennedy Brock had dominated Twitter by tweeting to fans using the hashtag #BieberXtheMaine. I happened to get a response from Pat Kirch on Twitter about Warped Tour.

Though John O’Callaghan captivates fans with his tweets, unique voice and good looks, he released today on iTunes an EP titled Sincerely, John The Ghost. The latest EP features six songs:

1. Sour Grapes
2. Nowandlater
3. Everyone Is A DJ
4. The Whole of Your Heart
5. Red House
6. All at Once

The EP is a side project he’s working on. There was one single prior to the release of the album, “Sour Grapes.” “Sour Grapes” was released on April 12^th. The EP comes with a 90-page book.

Photo courtesy of John O’ Callaghan’s instagram @thefifthjohn. John O’Callaghan posted a photo on Instagram of the book in his hands that said:

The Ghost haunts the far corners of my head and permanently lives in a flat he built on the tip of my tongue. He is everything I wished I’d both said and done when I had the chance but simply forgot how. He isn’t quite sure why he has so much to say, or if he really means much of it at all, but this is what his voice sounds like and these are his songs. Visit 81twentythree.com to hear and see it all. #johntheghost #8123

Catch The Maine this summer on Vans Warped Tour 2016. I’ve seen The Maine live five times, and The Maine puts on an excellent show. They sound as great live as they do on their albums. The atmosphere has nothing less than positive energy.

 

Rock on, stay humble, and be positive!

 

-ovictoriax31

Concert Review: Transit

I want to first start by saying that Transit is a very under rated band. Transit is a small alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts that has been around for 10 years. In that time span, they’ve released five albums, four of their own and a split EP with Man Overboard. Their most recent album, Joyride, was released in October of 2014. Now, I know that a lot people were not fans of the latest album, but I enjoyed the album. If you get the chance, listen to the song “Too Little, Too Late.” The song surely does not disappoint with excellent lyrics, great introduction and Joe’s voice in the song is amazing.

Transit is currently touring one last time on their “I’m getting good at saying goodbye tour.” The tour is hitting up many small, intimate venues on the East Coast (more specifically in the states of Rhode Island, New York, Philadelphia, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.) Even though Transit is only touring on the East Coast, they’re posting 30-minute live streams of each show of the tour on Facebook. Even though bands occasionally live stream a concert one night online, Transit is having a live stream of their last tour every night. I love the fact that Transit is connecting their fans in an emotional way, even if many can’t go to their last tour.

I attended last night’s show at Amityville Music Hall on Long Island. What an emotional night. The last time I attended Amityville Music Hall; I was seeing Major League perform one last time before breaking up. Transit played a great blend of songs off their older albums and newer albums. The crowd was energetic, and the fans were very much heartbroken that Transit was breaking up. It’s safe to say that the show was nothing less than amazing.

Rock on, stay humble, and be positive!

-ovictoria

Record Store Day 2016

Hey everyone! Today is Record Store Day (if you didn’t know already.) Every year, independent record stores dedicate this day to music lovers. The stores receive limited edition records from various bands/ artists and sell them on this special day. This tradition began in 2007 and the first official record store day was April 18, 2008. The biggest point of this day to give back to the fans, the bands, and the stores. This year, it was my first time attending Record Store Day in West Babylon, NY. I’ve been going to the record store for over a year, and I fall in love with the record store every time. The first time I stepped into this record store, it felt like i was in a whole new universe surrounded by something I love, music. I get the exact same way when it comes to book stores. I think it’s extremely important to support local businesses and what you love.If you all get a change, you should head over to your local record store to satisfy your music pleasures.

 

Rock on, stay humble, and be positive!

-ovictoria

Tips and Tricks When Going to a Concert

Going a a concert is a great experience that everyone can attend at some point in their lives. There’s nothing but positive energy, good music, and people who share the same music interests as you. Here are some of my tips for if you’re going to a show.

Pre-Concert

• I always get tickets during pre-sale or when they’re open to the general public. I like knowing I can attend and not pay over the amount on a third party site.
•  Check out the bands/ artists that are opening. You never know if you’ll find your next favorite group!
•  Dress comfortably! Don’t wear heels just because you’re going to a show with your significant other. It’s important to wear comfortable shoes and clothing, especially if you’re standing at the show. My go-to outfit is usually a band tee (or any tee shirt), skinny jeans, vans and a hoodie or flannel!
• Don’t forget your tickets at home or to buy tickets for the show.
• Know exactly where you’re going. Whether you’re driving to the venue, taking the train, or walking, make sure you know exactly where you’re going.

At the concert

•  Buy band merchandise before the show starts. If you’re a common size, most of the time the sizes will sell out. Plus, you want to rock the tee shirt around the venue, don’t you?
• STAY HYDRATED!! It’s super important to keep your body hydrated. Standing and dancing for a long time can really take a toll on your body.
• That leads into me saying to tip the bartender. Be courteous.
•  Live your concert by putting down that phone!! It’s nice to update your friends with a few Snapchats, but don’t live your concert through your phone. That doesn’t mean you have to put the phone down the whole show, but it’s important to live in the moment.
• Be aware of people around you. Whether someone is drunk, passed out, or even short, it’s important to be aware of the people that are around you.

Post- Concert

• Stay after the show is over, sometimes bands come out to meet their fans. You might get lucky!!
• Post your photos on any social media you prefer (Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.) Use hashtags and tag the person or people you saw. You never know if you’ll get a like or retweet!
• You might be experiencing post- concert depression, that’s totally normal. You’ve anticipated the day. Keep yourself updated to see if there’s a future tour announced.

 

Rock on, stay humble, and be positive!

-ovictoria

Welcome to ovictoria

Congratulations, you’ve found my blog! If you’re interested in reading about tips and tricks for concerts, reviews about concerts, albums, bands, and more in the Alternative, rock, pop-punk music scene this is the place to check out! I’ll be posting every Friday (or Saturday) about either a show I’m attending, a review about a show, an album review, and more. Until then, rock on, stay humble and  be positive.

-ovictoria