THE MAINE'S SM SKYDOME SHOW EARTHSHAKING

As a concert reporter, it's essential to capture what makes each show unique.

- GRACIE GO

There are only so many ways to say a show was amazing, so you have to focus on what happened during each one that didn't happen at the last show to avoid writing articles that sound the same. Luckily, when The Maine hit the Philippines for the Manila leg of their Sweet Sixteen Tour, brought to the Filipino members of the 8123 family by Pulp Live World, I didn't have to look very hard for what made it special.

In fact, there wasn't just one moment that defined the show there were plenty of reasons that made it truly unforgettable.

For starters, I've been associate editor of Pulp magazine for a little over a year, and in that time, I've covered plenty of shows at the SM North EDSA Skydome. But I had never experienced anything like what happened just two songs into the first night of The Maine's two-day extravaganza. At first, I thought I was feeling lightheaded or that an earthquake was shaking the very foundations of the mall. But I quickly realized it wasn't the earth moving-it was the crowd. The floor beneath me was literally trembling from the combined energy of the band and their fans. The excited, enthusiastic crowd slam-danced with an intensity I had never seen before, driven by the band's electrifying renditions of their opener dose no. 2, followed by I Must Be Dreaming.

Speaking of enthusiasm, the band had it in spades even hours before Day 1 of the show. When Pulp's editorat-large Joey Dizon and I interviewed bassist Garrett Nickelsen, drummer Pat Kirch, guitarist/vocalist Kennedy Brock, guitarist Jared Monaco, and vocalist John O'Callaghan, we were pleasantly surprised to find them eager to engage. It's always a pleasure to interview artists who listen attentively and respond with articulate, insightful answers.