Justin Pierre and company took the stage to a welcoming cheer and launched right into "Fell In Love Without You", from their latest disc EVEN IF IT KILLS ME.
The last time I saw MTS was at last year's Fuji Rock Festival. They played the Green Stage on a semi-sunny Saturday afternoon, and it was my first time seeing them. They impressed me with their non-Epitaph Eptitaph-ness, and self-deprecating songwriting, so I made sure that I went out and got their albums (I damn near bought one of their T-shirts in a moment of I-gotta-get-a-Fuji Rock-souvenir madness, but I came to my senses...)
They played well, but if you're not a hard-driving, kinetic band like the Beat Crusaders, how do you follow them later on a Tuesday night? I mean, keyboard player Jesse Johnson was in his full emo glory, manhandling his synthesizer and doing some handstands on it (moogstands I guess you call them), but really he only plays a couple of keys at any one time (I can't quite figure out what he actually does in the band, but maybe its just that - moogstands), and other than that they are typical low-key rockers. Their sound guy didn't do them any favors. He didn't attack the O-East sound system, which was too bad because it is one of the better places in Tokyo to hear good live bands. They played through a good cross section of tunes from their previous albums, COMMIT THIS TO MEMORY (2005) and I AM THE MOVIE (2003), though none of my favorites (where was "The Future Freaks Me Out"), but I was probably in the minority because everyone seemed to groove along happily. An evening of rock and roll on a rare school-night, three band bill for this writer. And while all the bands managed to claim some new followers and bragging rights, it was the Beat Crusaders who converted the most heathens in this hard rock campaign. Amen. |
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The featured photos are from the show in Osaka. report by jeff and photos by takumi |
 mag files : Motion City Soundtrack Off To Join the Beat Crusade (08/02/19 @ Shibuya O East) : review by jeff, photos by takumiphoto report (08/02/17 @ Shinsaibashi Club Quattro) : photos by takumiphoto report (06/05/12 @ Daikanyama Unit) : photos by sam |
| The official site Motion City Soundtrack http://www.motioncitysoundtrack.com/ check 'em? -->MySpace / iTunes the latest album  "Even If It Kills Me" (国内盤 / US import / US import / UK import） |
the latest single "This Is for Real [Maxi]" (UK import / UK import - 7' analog） previous works
"Lollapalooza 2007: Motion City Soundtrack - EP" (iTunes) "Punk Goes 80's" (iTunes) "I Am the Movie" (国内盤 / UK import - Enhanced / US import / US import - 12' analog) "Commit This to Memory" (国内盤 / US import / US import / UK import + DVD) "パンク・オー・ラマ(10)" (国内盤) "Matchbook Romance / Motion City Soundtrack" (UK import / US import) "The Future Freaks Me Out [Single]" (UK import) check the albums? |
 2008Off To Join the Beat Crusade : Motion City Soundtrack with Beat Crusaders & Cartel (19h Feb. @ Shibuya Club Quattro)With a Pocket Full of Shells... : Rage Against The Machine (10th Feb. @ Makuhari Messe Kokusai Tenjijo)That's The Way We Get By : Spoon (6th Feb. @ Daikanyama Unit)Sheik Yerbouti : FZ, You Is What You Were : Zappa plays Zappafeat. Dweezil Zappa, Steve Vai, Ray White (22nd Jan. @ Zepp Tokyo)2007Fuzzy Logic of The Super Furry Animals : Super Furry Animals (9th Nov. @ Liquidroom Ebisu)Dubnobasswithmyhead...man : Adrian Sherwood & The Slits (26th Oct. @ Shibuya O East)Juliette Gets Her Licks In : Juliette & The Licks (20th May. @ Liquidroom, Ebisu)Clap Your Hands Say Tokyo Police Club : Tokyo Police Club (1st May. @ Harajuku Astro Hall) |