Asotria, London
6/10/07
Admittedly I?ve never previously seen Motion City Soundtrack live before, but from the evidence that Youtube.com offers, they?re clearly a hit-or-miss live act. Fortunately for a packed Astoria auditorium, tonight was an example of the former.
Opening with, appropriately, the first track from ?Even if it Kills me?, Minnesota?s favourite power-pop quintet storm through a cracking set with quite a few surprises. While we have the usual ?Attractive Today?, and ?When you?re around?, the band treat us to a heavy dosage of material from their latest release, with a 2,000 strong crowd singing along to the likes of ?Point of Extinction? and of course, ?This is for Real?. It?s a shame there?s no ?Perfect Teeth?, as it?s a fan favourite, but by request from a girl down front, we are treated to a rare live rendition of ?The Red Dress?.
Justin Pierre?s an absolute treat to watch onstage, and his hyperactivity somewhat unintentionally proves a comedy to watch. It?s an absolute relief to see his recent delve into vocal lessons has paid off, and his voice is frankly astonishing considering how far into the tour they are. His partner in crime, Jesse Johnson is equally as entertaining, and quite the crowdworker.
Motion City Soundtrack seem to have improved leaps and bounds since their earlier live efforts available on the web. Perfecting their sound to a tee, they?re full of energy on stage and manage to pull of a rare headline London date with finesse, to the delight of many fans. Here?s to hoping they?re over this side of the world a bit more often.
Andy R