Motion City Soundtrack - 170 Russell, Melbourne 30/08/15

Minneapolis emo rockers Motion City Soundtrack brought their Commit This To Memory 10th Anniversary Tour to Melbourne 170 Russell on Sunday night, performing a stellar set that had the audience pogo-ing, clapping and singing throughout.

For many, it seemed their ticket to the show acted as a time machine back to a simpler time, when matters of the heart took precedence over all but the desire to have fun and the future freaked them out but was too far away to bother worrying about.

Frontman Justin Pierre acted as the flux capacitor, with his every emoted line turning the clock back to 2005, as he led MCS in a note-perfect rendition of landmark album Commit This To Memory before closing out the set with a smattering of old favourites interspersed with new cuts.

From the moment Pierre sang the opening lyric of Commit This To Memory’s opener Attractive Today, it was apparent that the majority of the crowd intended to sing-along to every word, with the likes of Everything Is Alright, When You’re Around and Resolution turning the venue into a live action version of Rock Band. As keyboardist Jesse Johnson’s moog synthesizer lent a unique flavour to the pop-rock offerings the rhythm section of drummer Claudio Rivera and bassist Matthew Taylor provided a rock solid foundation over which Pierre and guitarist Joshua Caine sang these much loved songs of social awkwardness, heartbreak and joyous exploration.

Many knowing glances appeared to be cast left and right during a spirited version of Make Out Kids while L.G.FUAD sent the room into a state of near delirium, in which it remained until the final notes of Hold Me Down brought the Commit This To Memory segment of the set to a close.

The encore kicked off with warmly received newy T.K.O before launching into a crowd-pleasing mix from across their back catalogue that was highlighted by Her Words Destroyed My Planet, This Is For Real and breakthrough hit The Future Freaks Me Out (during which one overzealous stage diver inadvertently knocked himself out, causing a pause in proceedings) before ending with a hyperactive version of My Favourite Accident.

Support on the night provided by Melbourne’s Strickland and their modern update on pop-punk went down well with early arrivers, as well as by rising emotive rock stars Ceres who no doubt earned many new fans with their perfectly crafted, emotionally disarming tunes, with Upwey, Tecoma, Belgrave and I Feel Fine, I Feel Sick earning rapturous applause.

The night though belonged to Motion City Soundtrack and the record Commit This To Memory, and if the smiles on faces as we let out into the bitter cold Melbourne night are anything to go by, many intend on doing just that.

Gallery – Motion City Soundtrack, Melbourne / Photos Nikki Williams