Vests, stovepipes, fluoro, converse and crazy hair were queued up at the Metro and it was only 5 oclock, 2 hours before the doors opened, and as the plot thickened, fresh-faced and pimpled teens joined the surging crowd.
With 3 named U.S supports, 2 things entered the mind of this reviewer:
1. Its going to be one heavy night (so stock up on red bulls and grenadine)
2.Soundwave has spilled into the Metro
My opinions though stayed the same when we were surprised with an extra slot in the bill, Take 21 , who have supported the likes of Fall Out Boy and The Used. First off, don’t judge them by what they wear; tight jeans can be misleading. This Aussie owned, Brisbane born band are no frills and all business, a surprise entrée to the evening.
Their commanding presence on stage cannot be ignored; playing a fast and furious set with carefully orchestrated melodies and fantastic timing, namely Michael Holmes on guitar and vocals, unable to stand on one side of the stage for too long, collaborating with fellow bassist, Jordan Bergman. Their last-minute inclusion was evidence of the new Aussie talent brewing on our shores.
We first meet MAE (Multi-sensory Aesthetic Experience), and the lead singer (Dave Elkins) is severely pissed off. Probably had something to do with technical problems leaving a strange whining sound throughout their set. Regardless of the problem, Mae played well, engaging mostly the younger crowd with their New Found Glory-esque vocals and melodies.
Sugarcult, however, were the leading support of the night. I don’t know whether it was his bleached hair, or simply the lighting, front man, Airin Older, shone like a beacon of wonder. He held the eyes and ears of the crowd for the entire set. One moment I can clearly recall: alone onstage, Kenny Livingstone on his own pedestal of drums hammered an astounding solo which kept the entire venue livid, even the security guards were wrapped. For a moment there, I forgot they were the supports.
As the last support band on the set, Cartel didnt quite have the oomph that Sugarcult or Take 21 displayed. They played a fine set, nothing that truly stood out; although they did explain for legal reasons that they had to perform by name CRTL, thus explaining the missing vowels on all their merchandise. On a side note: One fan compared the lead singer to Jesse McCartney and the bassist to Moby. It had me staring for a good 5 minutes.
And finally, Motion City Soundtrack grace the stage, diving straight into Fell in Love without You, consequently throwing the venue into an enamored frenzy. The band everyone had come to see, didn’t disappoint; playing favorites from their I Am The Movie and Commit This to Memory albums as well as from their most recent release Even if it Kills Me.
Motion City Soundtrack in one word: fun.
Their music, their quirky style, random metaphors and lyrics, this band is just one big hug of fun, and they know how to play with their instruments and had the crowd singing along to every song.
At one point frontman, guitarist and lead singer Justin Pierre discussed the difference of headbands and hair-bands with the crowd mumbling soon after “I’ve got to stop talking about hamsters and lightning”.
Random. They concluded the spectacular night with their first ever release My Favorite Accident , erupting the man next to me into tears. A gig worth remembering and worth more than it’s $55 moolahs.
