9 Years Ago: Remembering WCYY’s Spring Fling Concert in Portland, Maine

Let’s rewind the clock to March 31, 2016. It was one of those early spring days in Maine where you finally start to believe that winter might actually end. And on this particular day, the WCYY crew was gearing up for one of the biggest shows of the year: the CYY Spring Fling at the Cross Insurance Arena.

The lineup? Absolute fire. Cage the Elephant, Silversun Pickups, Foals, and Bear Hands—four of the biggest bands that were dominating the CYY airwaves at the time. It was a stacked bill, and we knew we were in for a night.

Backstage Shenanigans

The afternoon kicked off with a live broadcast featuring us CYY DJs—Rob (yours truly), Joey, plus former CYY alums Heather and Brett. We set up shop backstage, doing what we do best: cracking jokes, making fun of each other, and somehow still managing to ask the bands some real questions. Each band swung by to chat, meet contest winners, and just hang out. The interviews were the best kind—full of laughs, ridiculousness, and just enough insight into the bands to make it legit.

The Show Kicks Off

Once the doors opened, over 7,000 fans piled in. The night kicked off with Bear Hands, a Brooklyn-based band known for their indie-rock-meets-electro sound. If you don’t remember their song “Giants,” go give it a spin and instantly get transported back to 2016. They set the tone for the night.

Next up? Foals. If you’ve ever seen this UK band live, you know they bring their own vibe -- a mix of alternative, math rock, and atmospheric indie. When they launched into “Mountain at My Gates,” which was their hit on the radio at the time, the crowd was all in.

Then came Silversun Pickups. LA’s fuzzy, dreamy alt-rock band has always had a soft spot for Portland, playing here five times over the years. They delivered that signature mix of spacey melodies and distorted guitars, reminding everyone why songs like “Lazy Eye” and “Panic Switch” never get old.

Cage the Elephant Brings the House Down

Finally, it was time for the main event: Cage the Elephant. If you’ve ever seen these Kentucky boys live, you know exactly what happened next. Matt Shultz did what Matt Shultz does—ran, jumped, climbed, and generally acted like a rock ‘n’ roll lunatic in the best way possible. The setlist was a perfect mix of their biggest hits, and by the time they wrapped up, the arena was completely unhinged.

Hard to believe it’s been almost a decade since this one. But even now, people still talk about Spring Fling 2016 as one of those unforgettable shows. If you were there, you know.