Show Review: Motion City Soundtrack Returns With Their "Don't Call It A Comeback" Tour at House of Blues Anaheim
Motion City Soundtrack playing their first song of their set, “Attractive Today”.
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY JAZMIN LEMUS
When Motion City Soundtrack announced their Don’t Call It A Comeback Tour last June, I immediately knew what one of my first shows for 2020 would be. The last time they played in LA was in 2016 and it was so bittersweet. I was really sick, but knew that I would regret it if I did not make it out.
Thursday, January 23rd at House of Blues Anaheim was definitely a comeback. To share a personal matter, I was still recovering from surgery, but that would not stop me from going to see one of my favorite bands that were coming back on tour. Joining Motion City Soundtrack on this date were Mom Jeans. and Arms Akimbo.
Alternative indie rockers, Arms Akimbo kicked things off. The LA quartet won the crowd over instantly, whether or not fans were familiar with their sound already. Although I had did not get a chance to give them a listen before the show, as soon as the first note dropped, I immediately felt some Jazz vibes and could sense that the band is influenced by that genre. Not only could I hear some Jazz in their sound, but I also heard some influences by bands such as Daphne Loves Derby, The Dangerous Summer, and Sherwood. Arms Akimbo could not get off the stage before thanking Motion City Soundtrack for inviting them to play the show with them. Following Arms Akimbo, were NorCal natives, Mom Jeans.
Mom Jeans. have earned themselves credibility in the DIY scene over the last few years. With constant promotion, touring, and writing, the Orange County crowd were not new to the band’s music. As soon as the band dropped their first note, the crowd started dancing and singing along. As I stood in the back to watch the rest of their set, you could hear the crowd get louder as they continued to play. With some of their biggest songs being “Death Cup”, “Danger Can’t”, and “Edward 40hands”, the Indie Emo quartet from Berkeley could not NOT play those songs. What a way to get the crowd pumped up for Motion City Soundtrack.
And finally, we have Motion City Soundtrack from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Before I even start to talk about the show, I want to give a shout-out to Alternative Press and the 2003 Vans Warped Tour Compilation album as that was my introduction to the band in 2004. I was wrapping up my freshman year of high school and the first thing I thought to myself after hearing “My Favorite Accident” for the first time was “What is this? I like this”. They weren’t like anything else I was listening to at the time. As soon as I could, I started seeing MCS in high school and would try to see them on every tour. In 2020, the anticipation was about to be over and the crowd was ready to sing their heart out during the comeback.
Motion City Soundtrack kicked off their set with “Attractive Today” and “Everything Is Alright”, the first two songs off of their second album, Commit This To Memory. It was obvious that Motion City Soundtrack was missed. The band continued on and played “Broken Heart” off Even If It Kills Me and “Disappear” off of the self-titled album, Disappear. With 4 songs in, there was no slowing down for the band or the fans. They went off to play fan favorites such as “It Had To Be You”, “When ‘You’re’ Around”, “My Favorite Accident”, and “This Is For Real”. The set also included some deep cuts such as “Make Out Kids” from Commit This To Memory and “Capital H” from their debut album, I Am The Movie.
One of the things I realized throughout the night that this band did aside from creating the music that they’ve created was also help create some amazing friendships. On my way to this show, I knew of two friends attending, but by the end of the night, I had ran into more friends that I have met over the years. The night seemed to get more emotional for some of us as the band went off and played more deep cuts and fan favorites that have meant a lot over the years. Some of those songs included “Indoor Living” (which happened to be a request), “Even If It Kills Me”, and “Hold Me Down”, which was the last song the band played before the encore. We didn’t have to wait long for the band to come out for the encore and play “L.G. FUAD” off of Commit This To Memory and “The Future Freaks Me Out” from I Am The Movie.
Whether or not Motion City Soundtrack decides to be more active in the future, the Don’t Call It A Comeback Tour has been quite the comeback and to anyone who has a chance to see Motion City Soundtrack on the remaining dates of the tour, please do so if they’re a band you miss and/or never got a chance to see.
Motion City Soundtrack is one of those bands that are loved by many and have great fans, but what’s wrong with giving them more love? This band deserves the world.
As always, you can check out photos from the show and the latest releases from each band below.
