I Chose The Maine Featuring Friday Pilots Club, Grayscale, Nightly, And A Surprise Guest

BY Sabrina Bollinger | April 16th, 2026

When contemplating what shows I needed to see in April, The Maine was at the top of my list. Between friends tagging me in instagram posts and my secret love for the openers, it was a no brainer. The five-member band, who are not from Maine, played Kemba Live on Sunday April, 12th. Which may have been the busiest day I’ve ever seen down in that corner of Columbus. This stopped no fans of The Maine however, as the general queue line wrapped around the building before the doors opened.

Heading into the night, I was familiar with all the openers and was super excited to see both friends and family come out to this show.

Friday Pilots Club is a band one of my friends have been begging me to see, and I can understand why. Their show was bright and fun. It had an alternative indie vibe that melted right into my bones and made my body want to dance. Some of the audience members even made signs for the band as it was their guitarist, James Kourafas, birthday.

Opposing the bright and joyful nature of Friday Pilots Club, up next we had Grayscale. Their set was drowned in backlit blues but eventually blossomed into a bright and rocker beat. This was my second time seeing the band live and I always leave their set with a new favorite song for my playlists.

Nightly was up next and was incredible. From their stage setup to the lighting, to their sound I was enamored. Absolutely living for the neon pink heart sign they had behind them, their set was a wonderful time both as a photographer and as a fan. I hope to see them headline Kemba themselves in the next couple years. I'll be sure to be in attendance if they are.

Finally as the sky descended into darkness, the bright lights of the stage shone on The Maine as they made their dramatic entrance onto stage. Rolling right into some of their classic hits as well as new songs off of their newest album, Joy Next Door. Between singling out crowd members to start a mini pit and the warmest smile on John O'Callaghans face it was a wonderful night to be shared.

Even so, The Maine somehow managed to surprise me with a guest appearance from William Beckett, lead singer of The Academy Is. A collab I never could’ve seen coming was the perfect cherry on top of this night and I couldn’t have been happier.