I recently saw Never Shout Never, The Maine, I Can Make A Mess Like Nobody’s Business and Carter Hulsey at the Warfield in San Francisco as part of the Harmony Tour. It was a cold, rainy night for a walk from BART to the venue, but I looked forward to three things: toasty warmth, beer and good tunes.

The place was packed in the pit, so my friend and I took refuge near the bar, which had an unobstructed view of the stage. Carter Hulsey was first up, and this Joplin, Missouri native, who is signed to Never Shout Never’s Loveway label, got the crowd swaying. Hulsey had a country, bluesy feel to him (at one point, he said, “I hope you brought your cowboy boots”), which really set the mood for the rest of the night. You just knew it was going to continue to get better. If you’re looking for a song by this guy, I suggest you check out “A Note In Your Pocket”. That one has a lot of gumption.

I Can Make A Mess Like Nobody’s Business was a sweet prelude to The Maine. Ace Enders, who just happens to also be the lead singer of The Early November, got the crowd behind him from the start. My friend and I loved the songs, and even danced a little. I had not expected to do more than bob my head, but I felt my feet moving and decided not to fight the feeling. You know what I liked about this set, besides the ridiculously good music? The fact that Enders stopped playing in the middle of his last song to make sure a girl in the crowd got help from security (she was being smothered). That’s a good guy, right there. You know, I was going to pick a favorite song from the set, but I’ve decided against it. I want you to check out all of his music.

I’ve made it no secret that I am a huge fan of The Maine. There are days that I would love to just flood my entire blog in Maine-related posts. I love these dudes, and waited in anticipation for them to take the stage, while placing bets with my friend whether lead singer John O’Callaghan would come out shirtless or maybe in sunglasses. I was very, very wrong. John Ohh sauntered onstage in dark skinny jeans, cowboy boots and a bathrobe. Yup, Lebowski style. Only a guy like John Ohh has enough swagger to pull off a look like that. No, seriously, the guy exudes sexiness without even trying.

The Maine’s set was a bit more down and dirty, which riled up the crowd. John Ohh was spitting in the air and catching it in his mouth, which delighted fans but grossed out mothers (I saw a few wrinkled noses and shaking heads). He was also drinking alcohol, and became more animated as the set went on. The other guys were a bit more reserved, but they still jumped around and threw water on fans. Wait, I take that back. Lead guitarist Jared Monaco seemed to blend into the background until it was time for his guitar solo. He should grab a mic every now and then and speak to the crowd, like bass player Garrett Nickelson. He’s such an awesome guitarist, he deserves a little attention. I noticed drummer Pat Kirch getting crazy on the drums, and singing along. I’m happy to see guitarist Kennedy Brock share more vocal duties on “Inside of You”, since it probably helps preserve John Ohh’s precious vocals. I’m sure the ladies waiting patiently for future shows appreciate this fact.

The Maine’s set was solid, and I don’t expect anything less from these guys, who continue to work incredibly hard for their fans. They took liberties with the arrangement on some songs, and I especially liked the ending to “We’ll All Be”, which incorporated the line, “We’re just trying to find some color in this black and white world.” If you’re a fan, you should know that line is from their song “Color” off their album Black and White. I was also stoked to hear “Listen To Your Heart” for the first time live.

Now on to the headliner. Going in to this show, I only knew two songs by Never Shout Never. I didn’t realize his fanbase was so devoted until he walked out on stage and the screaming began. No joke, I thought my eardrums were going to shatter. I looked over at the bartenders, who were also plugging their ears. My friend had a fearful look on her face as she grabbed her ears. For a second, I thought I might have gotten off at the wrong BART stop and actually ended up at the Justin Bieber concert in Oakland. I didn’t know if I was going to enjoy the set or not, but then the confetti cannon went off, and I was golden (a confetti cannon is ALWAYS a good idea).

Never Shout Never’s granola approach to songwriting, and the American flag with a peace sign instead of stars, fit well into the San Francisco atmosphere. However, there were a few parts to his set that were a bit over the top. But the more he gave, the louder the fans screamed and sang along. There were several girls next to me who made up dance moves to some of his songs. Another girl continued to shout her undying love for him. It was unreal.

I’m going to complain for a second about one moment during his set that really has nothing to do with the music: smoking on stage. The venue prohibits smoking, so why light up? The bartenders and security guards were not happy, by the way. I just think it’s unnecessary to smoke. Dude, you’re not going to be up there that long. You can wait until you get outside.

Okay, back to the music. The fans really got into “I Love You 5” and “CheaterCheaterBestFriendEater”, while I was impressed with “On The Brightside” and “I Will Love You More Than You Will Ever Know”.  I’ve heard “This Sh*t Getz Old” before, and really like the pop feel to it. Another positive point to the set was that he kind of gave a little introduction to each song, so you know where he was coming from. I tried to focus on the lyrics more to see if I could pick out some of the things he mentioned.

Overall? Good show. The lineup was a bit eclectic, and I really hope the kids in the crowd appreciated the diversity and maybe picked up a new album at the merch table.