Written By Nick White
Live Music Experience
The Maine – I LOVE YOU BUT… I CHOSE THE MAINE Tour
May 2, 2026 – The Bomb Factory, Dallas, TX
The Maine left their heart in Dallas as it was the last stop on their “I Love You, But I Chose The Maine” tour and it was not one to forget. Now look, I haven’t seen The Maine since Warped Tour 2010, so it was exciting to see them 16 years later and I must say, not much has changed. John O’Callaghan has retained the same energy and charismatic stage presence as I last remembered.
One thing I noticed early on was that John was holding his mid-section and hunched over during lengthy instrumental moments during songs, and he later revealed that he was in much pain, hinting that he may have a broken rib, but to no surprise, that didn’t stop them from continuing to put on a tour-ending show. Performing older favorites such as “Bad Behavior” to newer hits from their latest single “Die to Fall” off their newly released album “Joy Next Door”, the fans showed their loyalty getting rowdy and loud all night belting all the words.
“Take Me Dancing” featured all the supporting acts (Moody Joody, Grayscale, and Nightly) coming out on stage, joining The Maine, helping dance and sing as a celebration that they made it to the end of the tour. Broken rib or not, The Maine did not let up one bit. Potential broken bones didn’t stop John from treating Dallas the way he treated every other city on the tour by hopping in the crowd multiple times to join in on the singing, leaving the microphone with a fan during their closing song “Black Butterflies and Deja Vu” as he crowd-surfed his way back to the stage.
Again, I have not seen The Maine in 16 years, which means we both have aged 16 years and they still gave as much energy as they always did before. This band truly loves and appreciates their fanbase, even coming down to the floor to sign autographs and take photos with everyone who patiently waited for them. Highly recommend any fans, new or original to see them next time they’re on tour. It’s a party of its own.
