You know, I’ve seen Motion City Soundtrack a number of times over the years, so when I saw a Commit This to Memory 15th anniversary tour, I was actually going to skip out. Firstly, it was scheduled in 2020, then got moved to the middle of winter in Ohio, but then the stars aligned and it got moved again and I saw them at Riot Fest. They were one of the best sets I saw that weekend and it made me remember how freaking awesome they are. So yeah, when I saw the show was approaching, I snatched up tickets.
Let me tell you what people, it paid off! I managed to snag a spot in the front, which rarely happens regardless of how short I am, and I stayed there the entire night. It was glorious. Anyway, the show started off really uniquely with a comedian by the name of Neil Rubenstein. Of all the shows I’ve attended over the years, I can say I’ve never seen a set of stand-up before a concert. It was pretty neat and I’d like to see more of that from bands in the future. Set up? Tear down? Nope. Super easy and moved the evening along swiftly. Also, the dude was funny. Not the funniest man I’ve ever heard in my life, but certainly an enjoyable way to kick off the show. Next up was the band All Get Out. Their name sounds familiar, but as their set went along it was clear I probably only knew them by name. This opener was nothing special. A lot of their songs started off with promise, but tapered out pretty quickly. Honestly, because of that, it felt like a set that would never end.
After an extremely short wait time, Motion City Soundtrack hit the stage, and the crowd was there for these pop punk legends! Myself included, of course. Since it was the Commit This to Memory, now 17th anniversary tour, the first block of songs was that album front to back. Of all their discography, this album is definitely my favorite, so I was pretty pumped the whole set. They punched through a few songs before interacting with the crowd, but it’s insane to me how much this band hasn’t really changed. And I love them for that. After finishing up that album, there was a brief intermission before they hit the stage again. Online, this section of the show on the tour has been referred to as the “greatest hits” section, and you know what, I agree. They played songs like ‘This is for Real,” “Hers Words Destroyed My Planet,” and “The Future Freaks Me Out.” They also played a new, but actually old song, “Crooked Ways.” Today’s Googling revealed that this song was in the running to be a part of the Twilight soundtrack and that author Stephanie Meyers said it was her inspiration for 2020’s Midnight Sun. That’s pretty cool!
Overall, it was a great show and I’m really glad I decided to check them out again. This tour has promised new music for the future, so I can’t wait for that! If the band is headed to a city near you, I urge you to get a ticket!