The Arizona desert came alive this weekend with the much anticipated return of 8123 Fest. Hosted and headlined by The Maine, the 2025 edition of their longstanding January event took place over two days at the iconic Mesa Amphitheatre and at various venues in the surrounding area. Downtown Mesa was buzzing with both local fans and hordes of diehards who flew in from as far away as Europe and South America for a beautiful celebration of music and community.
Before even getting to the festival, the band planned out activities and a pop-up shop for fans to explore. This meant chances to meet the band at their pop-up merch store, visiting the Tempe parking garage that started this whole journey or even picking up a pack of their Cider Corps collaboration- aptly named Sticky Cider.
Day one kicked off midafternoon on Friday under the bright Phoenix sun but with enough of a chill in the air that fans donned their coziest and shiniest outfits to see and be seen. The amphitheatre was transformed into The Maine’s own little oasis, with a stellar lineup of food trucks, an array of alcohol tastings and a separate area where fans congregated to take photos with the many unique installations built out on the grounds and write notes on the band’s old touring van.
With all of that going on, the day was still primarily about the music- and this lineup delivered the best and brightest of The Maine’s many friends. Atlas’ day started with up and coming local group Diva Bleach and their much-needed dose of girl power to the festivities. Celebrating the release of their debut album, the quartet blasted through an energetic half hour, winning the hearts of the day’s early attendees. Grayscale provided the pop punk portion of the day and their high-powered set prompted the weekend’s first enthusiastic crowdsurfers. Songs like “In Violet” and “Painkiller Weather” had fans screaming along, adding to the frenzy behind this band’s massive success.
One of the weekend’s most hotly debated topics was the identity of 2025’s surprise guest but no one was remotely shocked when longtime friends and 8123 collaborators Beach Weather emerged in the golden hour light. Decked out in rhinestones and fringe, Nick Santino reminisced on two decades of friendship with the 8123 crew and the band ran through a slew of hits including “Seth Cohen” and “Swoon”. “I can’t believe Beach Weather is a TikTok band” was overheard in the audience right before their viral song “Sex, Drugs, Etc” closed out an unsurprising but always welcome performance.
The sun disappeared and a proper chill was in the air when Bad Suns emerged in a wash of blue light and the occasional twinkling from a sea of lighted cowboy hats in the crowd. The trio was visibly thrilled at their reception and made the very most of their time onstage. The band segued from “Salt” into a bubbly cover of The Cardigans’ “Lovefool” and included other favorites like “Cardiac Arrest” and “Daft Pretty Boys” to close things out.
Members of The Maine had been spotted roaming the grounds all day but it was finally time for them to take the stage for the first of two headlining performances. Friday meant back to back full album playthroughs, starting with their most recent album. The crowd was vibrating with anticipation as the band lit up the venue with a huge video wall that cycled through curated visuals for each song and reflected off their immaculate white suits. As is tradition, Beach Weather’s Nick Santino joined the band for their rendition of “Thoughts I Have While Lying in Bed” for another “surprise” on day one. This set marked the end of the self-titled era and the guys sent off album nine in perfectly executed style.
2025 also marks a decade of American Candy and the first notes of “Miles Away” began a nostalgia-fueled journey through the blue hues of one of The Maine’s finest records. With so much music to pull from for their regular sets, old favorites like “English Girls” and “24 Floors” had fans more than a little emotional. Singer John O’Callaghan hyped up the already pumped crowd with his goofy banter between songs, letting everyone know the real mushy stuff would be saved for the final night of the fest.
It seemed so sudden when the final song loomed, but a long day came to the perfect ending with “Another Night on Mars”- the quintessential closing track for many a set over the years. Groups of friends huddled close as the packed amphitheatre sang with one voice, sending The Maine home in a blaze of shared love and true community bonding.
Fans who attended the first of several afterparties straggled into Mesa Amphitheatre once again for the final day of 8123 Fest. Local rockers Practically People and visiting band Cliffdiver opened the show early and the crowd was already expanding when Hellogoodbye made their entrance. Led by Forrest Kline- who often tours these classic songs with just a laptop, an acoustic guitar and the match that ignites a party every time- the live trio was an absolute treat to witness. Hearing the staple song “Here (In Your Arms)” in any setting is a joy and watching the 8123 crowd dance their hearts out kept those positive vibes flowing.
Another longtime friend and collaborator Charlotte Sands was Saturday’s dose of girl power with her electric blue hair and repertoire of songs that got everyone properly rocking out. Her band bashed away at “Bad Day” and “Spite” as she waved happily to fans singing along before exiting to the heavy version of “Dress”.
One of the most anticipated moments of our weekend was seeing The Starting Line this far west. Normally confined to the chill of the east coast, the Philadelphia band’s sunny tunes fit in perfectly with the desert sunshine (despite playing after sunset). Arizona has experienced “Left Coast Envy” for too long and the band delivered a joyful performance that spanned their mighty catalog of yearning, relatable tunes.
The Maine has repeatedly cited their love of TSL and John O’Callaghan’s early inspiration stemmed from Kenny Vasoli’s vocal stylings and the band’s lyrical prowess. He said it again in his thanks to the rest of the lineup and The Starting Line showed that love right back at every band on the bill before ending their set with “Up and Go” and the ubiquitous “The Best of Me”.
Another headlining set from The Maine means only one thing- no one is ever sure what’s going to happen next. The surprises started immediately with their opening salvo of “Touch” and “Don’t Come Down”, right into a deep cut on “Lips”. The fans had no idea how to react to this lineup of songs but, as is the case with this band, they knew every word to every chosen song. Nearly every era was represented on this chaotic setlist, including the re-addition of “My Heroine” before taking everyone back to the beginning on “Inside of You”. Nick Santino reprised his feature on “Thoughts I Have While Lying in Bed” and Charlotte Sands bounded out to feature on the hit collaboration “Loved You a Little” (with a bonus Kennedy Brock verse that elicited chants and screams from the audience).
The music is obviously a focal point of any festival but 8123 Fest is about much more than just the tunes- it’s about the community that surrounds those four numbers. Never has this been more perfectly demonstrated than it was on Saturday night- especially during highlights like bringing the band’s very first fan onstage to sing with O’Callaghan and high fiving crowd surfers launching over the barricade.
When O’Callaghan took center stage with his acoustic guitar towards the end of the night and projected a full scale image of their parking garage on the video wall behind him, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. He reminisced on the nearly 20 year journey of The Maine to reach this point before reaching towards the audience for any requests, picking his way through the chorus of “Right Girl” and “Daisy” as a treat.
One moment defined the entire weekend and that was the acoustic rendition of “We All Roll Along” with the audience as a choir behind O’Callaghan’s soulful vocals. Handing over the reins on the last chorus, he was visibly choked up as the crowd harmonized in unison on one of the songs that started it all and built the foundation of the far-flung community that exists today. The rest of the band stood side stage watching with pride before they all came together for “Flowers on the Grave”, the final number that wrapped up the weekend like only The Maine could.
There will never be another band like The Maine and there will never be another community that reaches past just music to connect people like 8123 and this festival is proof with each continuing iteration. Hard to believe the best weekend of the year is already behind us- we’re already looking ahead to infinity and beyond with The Maine.
