Lydia, Anberlin, and The Maine At The Fonda Theater

By Rosemary Vega on December 20, 2013@rosevega

DEC 11- Fans started lining up early in the cold (yes, there was a “cold” week in Calfornia) to see Lydia, Anberlin, and The Maine at The Fonda Theater in Los Angeles. Some fans had been waiting months to see the show, as it was originally scheduled for October. Due to scheduling conflicts, the showdate was change to December. Since the show was now during holiday season, the bands teamed up with Toys for Tots, and encouraged fans to donate toys for less fortunate children.

After an opening set from From Indian Lakes, Lydia took the stage. Lead by singer Leighton Antelman, the band is made up of Justin Camacho on guitar and Matt Keller on keyboard. The band performed songs from their latest album “Devil,” including “The Exit” as well as old fan favorite, “This is Twice Now” from 2008’s “Illuminate.” Lydia’s sound is very mellow, which is always interesting to see translated live. The band pulled it off changing up each song to become lively enough to captivate the crowd. Leighton remarked, “There are some Lydia fans in here,” after the crowd was noticeably singing along to every song.

Co headlining the show with The Maine, was Anberlin. Singer Stephen Christian, guitarists Joseph Milligan and Christian McAlhaney, bassist Deon Rexroat, and drummer Nathan Young have played together as Anberlin since 2007 (although the band formed in 2002). With a discography consisting of 7 studio albums, the band played a variety of new and old songs. Songs like “Feel Good Drag” and “Paperthin Hymn” were clear favorite among the crowd. The band’s sound, distinctly different from the other bands on the tour, is more reminiscent of Taking Back Sunday, or Switchfoot. To say the band seemed a bit out of place is an understatement, but you couldn’t tell from the crowd’s enthusiasm.

I’ve been a fan of The Maine for a long time (John and Garrett were actually my first interview!), and as expected, the band has matured significantly from their start. While the band played an array of songs from each of their four full length albums, the change was especially evident at the end. The band played, “Girls Do What They Want,” from their debut album, “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop” followed by an encore of “Misery,” from 2011’s “Pioneer.” Although the songs were released just three years apart, the transformation from teenage kids in a band to musicians was clear. These guys are in it to play music, constantly, anywhere, however. And I really hope more people will begin to recognize their talent.

The band added some holiday cheer to the show, performing their “holiday” song, “Ho Ho Hopefully,” which lead singer John O’Callaghan prefaced with, “Oh gosh. Um, I’m not 100% sure I still know the lyrics.”

Check out some photos from the show below:

Photography by Rosemary Vega