Take one venue, mix in a wide array of kids, teens and adults alike, add in four unique bands and stir. The result? Motion City Soundtrack’s headlining show at Magic City Music Hall with Person L, Hit the Lights and Chiodos.
With a crowd of under 1,000, excitement and anticipation permeated through a sea of zealous fans on Sept. 25.
After his performance, Person L’s lead singer, Kenny Vasoli, wandered through the crowd toward the bar. The former lead singer of The Starting Line was friendly and eager to mingle.
“I definitely enjoy playing smaller venues,” Vasoli said. He seemed pleased with his band and the crowd’s reception of the show.
Hit the Lights took to the stage in fine fashion as they played a 30-minute set for ardent fans. New lead singer Nick Thompson got the crowd amped with his rendition of some of the band’s older songs such as “Body Bag,” as well as their newer music. The band’s pop rock-alternative sound got the mass of people on their feet, jumping to the beat and singing lyrics.
“This song goes out to you!” Thompson shouted as the crowd screamed in response.
During the 15-minute break between sets, the stage was fervently set for Chiodos. Even with only the first strum of the guitar and note into the microphone, their hardcore sound viciously contrasted the two previous bands. The dark stage juxtaposed the intense light show, which set the mood for the next hour. The swarm of fans jumped, screamed and moshed.
As if the cloud of heat and sweat wasn’t enough, lead singer Craig Owens pointed out, “It’s fucking hot,” which got an abundance of laughs. He encouraged those listening to, “Be yourself,” as they ended their set with a myriad of lights, bass, screaming and clapping.
The crowd cheered anxiously for Motion City Soundtrack to take the stage. From the first note to the last, both the crowd and Motion City were energetic and involved. Lead singer Justin Pierre continually spoke to fans. Pierre was extremely comical, joking around incessantly and even throwing water bottles into the crowd while stating, “I don’t want anyone to dehydrate.” The crowd was very receptive to the whole performance, especially during their hit songs “Make Out Kids” and “Everything is Alright.” After their final song, “The Future Freaks Me Out,” energy was still flowing as the crowd flowed toward the door.
After the show, fans lingered to catch a glimpse of the bands. Junior Adam Browning said he was extremely pleased by the performances, especially Motion City’s.
“They have such a unique sound,” Browning, a psychobiology major, said. “I advise everyone to see a Motion City Soundtrack concert at least once.”
Freshman management major Sara Mutnick seemed to share the same sentiments. The show in Johnson City was her 10th Motion City concert. She said she enjoyed the band even more in a smaller venue.
“It was more personal,” Mutnick said. “There was nothing fancy about the performance, it was just them.”
However, Mutnick said she had one complaint: “Justin Pierre needs his afro back.”