Gannon Knight ArtsLeisure

     R&B, pop-punk and rock will find a meeting place Wednesday when Jason Derulo, We the Kings, The Maine and The Romantic Era take the stage at the Hammermill Center for the Activities Programming Board’s Spring 2010 Concert.
     The Romantic Era, a local band, will open the show at 6:30 p.m. Following its set will be The Maine, from Tempe, Ariz.
     Jared Monaco, lead guitarist for The Maine, said the band’s tour has been great so far.
     “We’re three weeks into it and every show is amazing,” he said. “We’re with We the Kings, having a blast.”
     Hunter Thomsen, lead guitarist for We the Kings, agreed with Monaco; he said the band has been “loving every day.” Thomsen also said the crowds have been awesome.
     Upon first listen, one could describe The Maine as pop-punk, but Monaco said the band is “very rock.”
     “Everyone likes to slap cute labels on the sound,” he said, “but we’ve had lots of influence from ‘90s music, such as Tom Petty.”
     These influences will make themselves apparent on The Maine’s forthcoming album, “Black and White,” set to drop in July. Monaco said the band’s goal was an Americana sound.
     Fans of the band will get a preview of the new album during The Maine’s set when they play “Right Girl.”
     “We’re excited to have people hear the new stuff,” Monaco said. “Going to the show is the only way to hear new songs.”
     The new songs aren’t the only thing The Maine will bring to its performance. According to Monaco, vocalist John O’Callaghan has been climbing sets and the band has been having as much fun as possible with the crowd.
     In order to make its performance memorable, Monaco said the band wants to hold nothing back and play its songs to the best of its ability.
     After its set, Monaco said The Maine will stick around to talk with fans.
     “Without them, we’d have nothing,” he said. “Regardless of whether they’re a new fan or have been to 10 shows, we try to say thanks.”
     After The Maine will be We the Kings, hailing from Bradenton, Fla.
     Thomsen described the band as playing “fun-loving rock ‘n’ roll.”
     “We all want to have a good time,” he said. “We’re a party band.”
     We the Kings will be playing songs from their new record, “Smile Kid,” which was released last year. Thomsen said the band loves playing live and has been receiving a great response.
     Like The Maine, Thomsen said We the Kings will stick around to meet with fans after their set. Fans can also expect a fun time from the group, Thomsen said.
     Prior to the show, Thomsen said the band wants to find out what Erie’s all about. He said he didn’t know where Gannon University is located until he looked it up online, but he’s excited to be here and meet people.
     Following We the Kings will be headliner Jason Derulo.
     Derulo, who hails from Miami, has been performing since the age of 5 and wrote his first song at 8. As a teen, he moved to New York, attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and competed at the famed Apollo Theater, winning the Apollo’s 2006 season Grand Championship.
     At 17, he composed and sang the chorus to “Bossy,” a track of rapper Baby’s “Five*Stunna” album. After that, Derulo became an in-demand songsmith, creating songs for Lil’ Wayne, Cassie and Danity Kane.
     Derulo’s debut single, “Whatcha Say,” quickly climbed to the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100, Rhythmic and Pop charts – it stayed atop the latter for four consecutive weeks. “Whatcha Say” samples a track by Imogen Heap and has been certified double-platinum.
     “In My Head,” the second single from Derulo’s self-titled album, peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100. The album is a mix of pop, rock. R&B and electronic elements.
     According to Derulo’s official Facebook page, he recorded more than 300 songs for the album, which was released with nine tracks. Derulo wrote or co-wrote each song on the album.
     Derulo’s 2010 has been busy so far – in late January he toured with Lady Gaga and in February he made his film debut in “Turn the Beat Around.”
     The APB Spring 2010 Concert begins when the doors open at the Hammermill Center at 6 p.m. Tickets are $25 and are available for purchase at gannontickets.com.