SHREDnews

By: Steph Mirsky

The wind whipped down the street as a chill shot down their spines. Anticipation was in the air, question on their minds.  To most, this night was just another cold November night in Boston, MA; but to some, about fifty-or-so college kids, this night was a night of excitement. The clock at the Boston commons struck 9:00 and a hush fell among the crowd; they were all waiting for some great entrance, but nothing came. As the minutes ticked by, the crowd grew restless. And then at 9:10 he appeared in perfect Armageddon form, with his small entourage; Justin Pierre, the lead singer of alternative rock band Motion City Soundtrack, walked up to the crowd with nothing but a guitar case in his hand.

The crowd quickly circled around Pierre as he charismatically, yet slightly awkwardly greeted the now elated fans.  As Pierre pulled out his guitar, the dynamic was established among the crowd: excitement-struck girls professed their love, college bros took their shot at humoring Pierre, and young “scene” couples stood silently hoping to hear their favorite love song.  But once Pierre stood ready to play, everything changed.

As John Steinbeck wrote, “…a moment settled and hovered and remained for much more than a moment. And sound stopped and movement stopped for much, much more than a moment. And then the moment was gone.” And Pierre struck his first chord.

The set started with “Attractive Today” off the 2005 album Commit This To Memory.  His crisp strumming and the sharp twang of the acoustic guitar cut through the winter air, and the crowd was immediately hooked.  Pierre’s presence quickly created a light, yet intimate atmosphere.  “Attractive Today” was followed with back-to-back crowd-pleasers “Last Night” and “Broken Heart” off of Even If It Kills Me. This match up was well received by the fans as it united everyone in song and set the pace for the rest of the show.

In the middle of the set, Pierre revealed “Disappear,” a song off the upcoming full-length album My Dinosaur Life. The acoustic version of this track still exuded the same intense sound as the full-band version.  However, after talking to Pierre, it is clear that this is not a new direction for Motion City Soundtrack, simply experimentation with a slightly darker sound.

As the set moved into the back end, the crowd was graced with an unexpected guest: Shawn Harris, the lead singer of The Matches.  Harris backed up Pierre on fan-favorites “Everything Is Alright” and “The Future Freaks Me Out,” both of which translated beautifully acoustically and inevitably made everyone’s night.  As Pierre tried to wrap it up at the close of “The Future Freaks Me Out,” Boston fans would not allow it.  In a cry from the crowd, “Cambridge” was demanded in order to pay proper respects to the show’s location.  Pierre played the song in good spirit and gave the city its dedication. As the song rang out on its last chord, Pierre looked out at the crowd with the biggest smile on his face.

And the moment settled. And the song stopped. And the crowd understood that they had just experienced one of the most genuine sets in a long time.