8123 fest, hosted by the Valley’s own The Maine, made it’s highly anticipated return to the desert after three years—this time as a two-day fest—and one thing is for certain: the men of The Maine sure know how to throw a party! Although the main event took place over the weekend at Mesa Amphitheater, the band curated a multi-day schedule of festivities spanning multiple venues, kicking off on the eve 8123 fest (Thursday, January 16) and continuing through January 20. The packed schedule featured something for everyone, including side shows, after-parties, volunteer opportunities, exclusive shopping experiences, flash tattoos, and a hangover brunch. 

As if this wasn’t enough excitement, The Maine surprised fans by dropping an unannounced album early Wednesday evening. While technically their tenth studio album, the band playfully referred to Dyed (2008-2023)—produced by vocalist John O’Callaghan—as ‘album 9.5,’ as it features a collection of reworked demos spanning all nine of their eras. To celebrate, fans gathered at the place where it all began for The Maine—the now iconic 8123 parking garage—to stream the album together with the very community the band has built over the years. It was a fitting kickoff to the long weekend of events which drew fans from all over the world.

Thursday marked the grand-opening of the band’s pop-up shop, offering fans an opportunity to shop The Maine and 8123 merchandise, pickup bundles, limited edition products, and vinyl, including a limited batch of Dyed (2008-2023) on vinyl. Outside the pop-up, the Sunset Market featured a local farmers’ market and an art market, providing an opportunity for fans to shop local goods. Fine line flash tattoos were also available for fans who wanted a lasting memento to commemorate the weekend.  The festivities continued at The Nile, with a pre-festival show headlined by Charlotte Sands and with support from Like Roses, Sorry X, and Maeby. Sands would make another appearance over the weekend with a set on Day 2 of the festival. 

8123 Fest Day 1 Recap: The fest kicked off Friday afternoon and the grounds were alive with music and plenty of ways to engage and enjoy the atmosphere. Fans could snap photos with a variety of art installations, including a beloved piece of The Maine’s history— their old touring van—on which fans could pen notes to the band, expressing what 8123 means to them. Multiple food trucks lined the back of the venue, offering a wide variety of tasty options, while outdoor lounges provided alcohol tastings. Fans could also purchase cans of Cider Corps‘ special honey lemonade cider, created in collaboration with The Maine and aptly named Sticky after the iconic song. Festival-goers also got into the spirit with sparkling cowboy hats that added extra glitz to the sunny, yet chilly Arizona day. Despite the cooler temperatures in the valley, the vibe was warm and welcoming throughout the day.

Day one delivered a powerhouse lineup, with The Maine headlining and treating fans to a special performance of American Candy in its entirety to celebrate its 10th anniversary, alongside a full run-through of their self-titled album. The lineup also featured Bad Suns, surprise guests Beach Weather—whose appearance wasn’t announced until the day of the festival—Grayscale, Diva Bleach, and Veronica Everheart. But the night didn’t end there—The Maine and friends kept the energy going with an epic afterparty at the Marquee Theater, where fans continued to celebrate with the band late into the night.

8123 Fest Day 2 Recap: Although much of the crowd was out until the wee hours of the morning at The Maine’s after-party, many turned up early to enjoy all that the day two had to offer- including another incredible lineup of artists. Phoenix-based alternative/indie rock band Practically People kicked things off with an unexpected twist- tossing stuffed animals into the crowd as they made their entrance. They would later bring out a giant slingshot to fling merch items into the crowd, setting a fun and playful tone for the day. The performance marked their largest to date and showcased many songs off of their 2024 debut album Origins. The band was well received by the crowd, many of whom were hearing their music for the first time, having traveled to the fest from all over the world. This would unfortunately be the band’s last performance with frontman Dmitri Bell, as the band announced on Monday that he would be parting ways with the band. But don’t worry—Practically People is far from done. Singer, songwriter, and bassist Jane Harris will be stepping up to lead the band into their next chapter. Fans can expect plenty more music, with Harris now at the helm.

CLIFFDIVER, the midwest emo/alt-rock band out of Oklahoma, took the stage next, bringing their A-game to the stage despite the recent departure of two members of their seven-piece lineup. The band had the crowd completely hooked from the get-go, with co-vocalist Briana Wright stealing the spotlight with her relentless energy. Wright was a force of nature, constantly in motion while engaging the crowd, making it impossible to look away. The rest of the band matched her energy, and the crowd was fully invested, often screaming back the lyrics to songs like “dayz gone”. The set featured many songs from their latest release, Birdwatching, including “thirty, flirty, and thriving!!!” and “goin’ for the garbage plate”, a song about fighting the best that you can. The band puts on a must-see performance— be sure to check them out next time they roll through your city!

Despite the sizable crowd, this festival had a uniquely intimate vibe that set it apart from others. Members of all the bands on the lineup could be seen mingling with fans throughout the day, casually roaming the festival grounds, posing for pictures, and swapping stories. It was clear that the event’s focus was on fostering a strong sense of community, making it feel more like a gathering of friends than just another massive festival. The personal connections between artists and fans were a standout feature that made the experience feel special.

Opening their set with the infectious “Shimmy Shimmy Quarter Turn,“ Hellogoodbye, led by frontman Forrest Kline, delivered a feel-good performance of 8 songs spanning their discography. In a nod to the Valley’s rich culture, Kline infused “Here In Your Arms“ with Spanish lyrics, a moment that was met with cheers from the crowd. Fans were also treated to a preview of a new, unreleased track titled “Let It Drop,“ which brought a groovy, funk-inspired vibe that had the whole crowd dancing. It was clear that, after all of these years, Hellogoodbye still has it. Don’t miss the chance to see them live this March when they hit the road with Armor for Sleep.

Up next, Charlotte Sands took the stage, blowing the audience away with her powerhouse vocals and unrelenting, magnetic energy. No doubt- the woman is a rockstar! Sands put on an impressive performance, treating the crowd to songs like “Bad Day” and “Pity”, as well as an unreleased song (“One Eye Open”), before closing with the heavy version of “Dress”. On Instagram, Sands joked about a “scary 30 seconds” during “Bad Day” where she prompted the crowd to sing along, and feared that they “almost had to go back to internal validation” if the crowd didn’t scream back the lyrics; however, this fear was unfounded, as it was clear that the audience knew the song well, screaming the lyrics at the top of their lungs without support from Sands. Relatively new to the scene, it is clear that big things are in store for this artist! 

As the sun started to set, Real Friends took to the stage, inciting pure chaos from the crowd (in a good way!) from start to finish. A literal stream of crowd surfers kept security on their toes as the band put on an absolute show, performing songs like “Our Love Was Like a Sad Song”, “Me First”, and “Late Nights in My Car”. In a particularly vulnerable moment, the band performed “Waiting Room” off of their recently released album, Blue Hour. The song, written about the passing of a band member’s father, was dedicated to anyone dealing with grief or loss in their life. The energy immediately picked back up, with a challenge of a jumping competition from the crowd, before ending the set with “Tell Me You’re Sorry.” The band will take a brief hiatus from touring before joining Silverstein on the Spring Edition of their 25 Years of Noise tour in April. 

In perhaps one of the most highly anticipated sets of the evening, The Starting Line, made a rare west coast appearance, delighting the hearts of all the elder emos in attendance who spent their pivotal high school years jamming out to Say It Like You Mean It. Taking the Arizona stage just after dark, the energy from the band, especially frontman Kenny Vasoli, was high from the very first note of “Surprise, Surprise”. The audience was taken on a journey through the band’s discography, with favorites from all of their records making an appearance on the setlist. The set ended with a whole crowd sing along of “Best of Me” and provided the perfect dose of nostalgia, transporting the audience back to a simpler time in life. The Starting Line will appear on several more lineups this year, including a third appearance at When We Were Young Festival in Las Vegas in October. 

As the crowd anxiously awaited the final set of the night, a timer appeared on the screen, counting down the seconds until The Maine would take the stage. The crowd counted down in unison, and as the clock struck zero, the words “It’s”, “Time”, “To” appeared on the screen before the words “Jump”, “Drink”, “Rage”, “Cry”, “Laugh”, “Puke”, “Dance”, and “Touch” flashed repeatedly on the screen as the Valley’s favorite band made their grand entrance, dressed to the nines in black tuxedos. While night one featured front-to-back playthroughs of American Candy and their self-titled album, the setlist this evening was a carefully curated mix of favorites and deep cuts spanning most of their catalog, all set to stunning visual displays tailored to each individual song. As the band took to the stage, they immediately launched into “Touch”, igniting a dance party within the crowd who sang along with every word. The Maine brought an unparalleled energy to the stage, rivaled only by the fans who matched every bit of intensity brought by The Maine. The set had two guest appearances, with Nick Santino of Beach Weather taking the stage to perform “Thoughts I have While Lying in Bed” with the band, and Charlotte Sands appearing with an incredibly powerful vocal performance during “Loved You A Little”. 

The band took the time between songs to frequently express their gratitude to the fans for the community they have built over the years and reminisced of the MySpace days when they would frequently connect with fans. They told a story of their first fan, Richard, who they would bring onto stage during “Am I Pretty?”. Richard impressed fans with his dance moves and had fans chanting his name when the song was over. Following “Black Butterflies and Déjà Vu”, the band left the stage, and frontman John O’Callaghan took the stage solo, performing snippets of fan requests on acoustic guitar with the 8123 parking garage displayed as the backdrop. He reflected on 17 years as a band and how 8123 came to be, before a performance of “We All Roll Along”. He paused during the song for the crowd to scream that iconic line, “8123, MEANS EVERYTHING TO ME”, and needed a moment to compose himself after being overcome with emotion. The band re-joined O’Callaghan for their final song, a performance of “Flowers on the Grave”. While the show may have been over, the night was only just beginning, as fans rushed over to The Nile Theater for another unforgettable 8123 and Friends afterparty hosted by The Maine. 

The fest may have been over, but the festivities continued Sunday, with a Hangover Brunch, more shopping and a meet & greet at the 8123 popup shop, and a send off show at The Nile, featuring the 8123 House Band, full band karaoke, a meet & greet and acoustic set with Grayscale, along with a group jam of special guests. 

On Monday, fans had the opportunity to give back, joining gathering with The Maine for 8123 Impact Day to volunteer for Project C.U.R.E., whose mission is to “deliver life-saving medical equipment, supplies, and services to meet the needs of people in poverty, disasters, and violence”, and for A New Leaf, an organization dedicated to “helping families and individuals facing homelessness, domestic violence, and more.” In addition to giving back through 8123 Impact Day, fans were encouraged to bring gift cards to donate at the festival for victims of the LA Wildfires. 

8123 Fest wasn’t just a music festival—it was a testament to the power of community, the enduring spirit of connection, and the magic that happens when people come together to celebrate the music that moves them. While we aren’t sure how soon the next installment will return to the valley, until then, a reminder: “Wherever you are, however you are, you are 8123.”