A horde of Converse-wearing punks and emo kids descended upon the venue for a five-hour punk-pop endurance test featuring a quartet of bands: opening acts You Blew It! (Florida natives from Orlando), State Champs, and the
Even though it was their first visit to Fort Lauderdale, New York-based State Champs were greeted with warm cheers, and a good portion of the crowd knew every note and lyric, a testament that like-minded bands attract like-minded fans, regardless of fame or longevity. During their set, the pit was reserved for only the bravest, happiest, and sweatiest of souls. For the most part, the fans moshing came across like a bunch of tipsy teddy bears (although things got a little rougher once the Wonder Years took the stage; one first-timer injured his hand, but he seemed to be the only casualty).
With flashing red and white lights signaling the arrival of either Jedi or Sith, Motion City Soundtrack stepped onto the stage to the music from the latest Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer, acknowledging
Motion City Soundtrack is what happens when intelligent, cartoon-loving, comic book and film geeks pick up instruments and sing catchy punk songs about love, heartbreak, and all the important minutiae of everyday life. At this point in their careers, lead singer/songwriter Justin Pierre and company approach their music from the viewpoints of practical, responsible adults that most of us eventually evolve into. However, they never lose sight of the clever, whimsical, teenage introspection that's always energized their songs. Speaking of which, there were likely plenty of fans at Revolution last night who, a decade ago, were getting escorted to Motion City Soundtrack shows by their parents. Not much has changed in 2015. A few cool mom and dads were onsite, doing their rock 'n' roll parenting duty.After three rousing acts playing the length of one Lord of the Rings film, most people would be exhausted. Not Fort Lauderdale, and not last night. The crowd still had something left in the tank for the Wonder Years, and it was a good thing
As for that audience, about a quarter of them left after Motion City Soundtrack finished its set, which was
The complementary yin-yang dynamic that Motion City Soundtrack and the Wonder Years share, the former offering more charm and bounce on even their saddest songs and the latter taking a darker, heavier approach, was a topic Campbell addressed onstage. He congratulated Motion City Soundtrack on the anniversary of its hit album Commit This to Memory, and paid the band the ultimate compliment by saying, “Without that record, without that band, this band wouldn’t exist.” An homage that fans of both these fans in Florida and beyond can appreciate fully, especially after such a strenuously rad show.