D. Wayne is the Main Mane in Maine

Driving through blankets of trees, we made our way from Philadelphia to Portland. The toll booths seem to come along every hour, spread like bread crumbs left to guide tourists out of the forest. The view from the bus is much different than the wide open spans of desert and desolation in the west that I am used to and I am enjoying the new surroundings.

The city of Portland is beautiful, old and filled with characters. The local shops add charm while the breezy weather reminds me that we are close to water relieving my minor claustrophobia in the unfamiliar land. 

It is strange because I have walked around New York and Philadelphia this week by myself and felt completely safe but from the second I began my investigation of the city I knew something was off. First, I was followed by three men in their 20s for a block calling out to me asking me who I was, where I was from and why I was running away before I ducked into a Starbucks. I was in a very public place so I don't think I was in any real danger but the experience had me think twice about my plan to walk down to the water by myself. 

 My second experience with a Portlandian "character" was in a local market. Standing in line at checkout with my People Magazine in tow, Snooki plastered on the cover (in my defense there was a review of Night Visions that I wanted to save), I received an unusual amount of attention from the businessman in front of me. He complimented me on my hair and then my curves (he used other words) and then began to lick his lips and make kissy sounds. On that note, my solo mission was complete and I returned to base camp for backup. 

 After load-in, the band, Joy the bus driver and myself walked down to the harbor to eat at Dimitri's, a local seafood restaurant located on the water. With sound check and a local acoustic show scheduled simultaneously in 25mins, the ordering, eating and paying process felt a competitive race. We quickly enjoyed our meal outside on the chilly deck with docks of beautiful boats to my back. Daniel Wayne got the lobster roll and I had the best clam chowder I've ever tasted, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised being where we were. We took a taxi back to the venue and the band immediately went to work. 

 After a brief and stressful 10 minute sound check we took a cab to a local music store, for an in-store Q & A and performance. The band was asked to play 3-4 songs but ended up playing 5 to makeup for their tardiness.   The foursome then signed albums and answered questions like "where is your favorite place to play?," "who are your biggest influences?," and "where do you get your songwriting inspiration?"

 On our return to the venue, Zeale (the openers) had already started performing and it was time for the band to prepare for stage starting with a quick line-check before the set. The State Theater was packed but from what I could tell the majority were there for AWOLNATION. I was proven wrong as the band began to play, and my little corner spot on stage left began to become a hot bed for violent thrashing while singing along to "Rocks." I figured there were more than a few fans out there and I should possibly make my way up to the balcony. 

The view from up top was an eye-opening experience. Whenever Dan turned his microphone to the audience, they were there to fill in the lyrics to any given song. The hit of the night seemed to be "Radioactive" the applause felt like it lasted several minutes including a standing ovation from the entire balcony. "It's Time" and "Nothing Left to Say" finished of the set like icing on the cake, followed by a second deafening standing ovation. 

After the set, I went to meet up with Daniel Wayne's Boston friend Danielle and her two roommates. As I waited in the lobby, I felt an unusual amount of attention from the "eligible" bachelors of Maine. What's up with this city! They must really dig scraggly Kurt Cobain hair and a makeup-less face. But after a few awkward flashes of the wedding ring, the trio of lovely ladies rescued me from my unfortunate situation. 

Danielle had made a sign that she held up during the show, pissing off every too-cool-for-school hipster in site. It read, "D. Wayne is the Main Mane in Maine." Pure brilliance. I could see people trying to sneakily snag pictures of the band and the clever sign as we met up post post-performance interviews. The night ended with a catchup session between D. Wayne and Danielle in the bus. I love meeting Daniel's friends and more importantly hearing stories of the hubs before I knew him. 

I am grateful that the roller coaster of a day ended on a high note, great music, making new friends and a pillow to rest my head. Now on to Connecticut.