Movements @ Roadrunner 10/25
Photos by Daniel Fewster
Review by Christian Oversvee-Choi
Energy and excitement were off the charts for a typical Sunday night at Roadrunner as fans geared up for Orange County emo band Movements, touring with Balance and Composure, Midrift and Niis, supporting their new album “Happier Now.” Despite some technical difficulties during Movements’ set, the room’s electric energy was relentless, with each band claiming the show was one of the best on the tour so far.
The first two bands of the night are up-and-comers in the alt-rock and emo landscape. Niis is a four-piece hardcore punk band from Los Angeles that released its EP, “Play Niis,” earlier this month. They had great energy to open the show. With a brief 25-minute set, they made every minute count as the audience responded, displaying their love through moshing and crowd surfing.
The second band, Midrift, is a young alternative rock group from the Bay Area with a vibey, atmospheric twist to their booming progressions. The three-piece released their debut album, “Silhouette,” earlier this year, with the title track and “Over Anything” being highlights of their set. They have a good take on the Superheaven-esque shoegaze sound, and despite their smaller size, they easily filled out the room with a wall of sound.
As the night progressed, I could swear the energy rose exponentially in anticipation for the headliner.
Although tonally mellower than the previous bands, Balance and Composure had a grasp on the crowd that could’ve fooled an unknowing attendee into thinking they were the star of the show. The legendary emo band had a much more experienced vibe that owned the stage, with less movement and a smoother sound overall.
The moshing and crowd surfing for Balance and Composure was on another level compared to the first two bands. Their closing song “Postcard” had people dancing (and more than a few couples necking) as they played through the smooth groove and melody.
As soon as the emo veterans left the stage, a wired tension rising from an enthusiastic crowd quickly started to brew again. As stage techs brought out more amplifiers and more lighting fixtures, you could sense the excitement from the back of the balcony to the front of the floor.
As the lights finally went dark and an opening monologue track began to play, the crowd erupted. A light shone behind the large banner, illuminating the word “Movements,” and a collective chill spread around the room.
Then the opening notes to “Back in My Ways” reverberated around the room. Its mellow intro hooked the audience immediately as the song built. When the song erupted into its heavy chorus, the lights above and behind the band illuminated, showering the stage with striking red and yellow light. Unsurprisingly, the mosh pit quickly resurged.
The energy was only temporarily interrupted by a technical difficulty with singer Patrick Miranda’s in-ear monitors. When the band finally kicked back into their set with “Ill at Ease,” the crowd instantly regained enthusiasm, and after a few more mic checks between songs, it seemed the issue was solved.
Movements is touring in support of their recently released album, “Happier Now.” A large chunk of the set was dedicated to new tracks, with highlights including the aforementioned “Back in My Ways,” ”Dissolve Me,” “Pulse” and the title track.
Of course, the band threw some of their older songs into the mix throughout the set, with “Full Circle” and “Colorblind” of 2017’s “Feel Something” album standing in as some of the best and most energetic songs of the night — with “Feel Something” being many fans’ gateway into the world of Movements, it was not surprising that these tracks had the most people singing along.
After “Colorblind,” only one song remained in the set, with no prospect of an encore, as Miranda made clear. There was no question in anyone’s mind of what the last song would be as Miranda thanked the crowd, announcing, “This song is called ‘Daylily.’”
As the familiar opening chords rang through the room, that same chill from the beginning of their set arose as Miranda and the audience began singing the mellow verse. When the chorus kicked in, Miranda stepped away from the mic, encouraging the crowd to scream the iconic opening chorus: “I think it’s time you had a pink-cloud summer.”
The song flew by all too fast as fans screamed their hearts out to the iconic track. As the final notes rang out and the last thank-yous were given, the band left the stage, and the show was over.
Ending on such a beautifully devastating song left the crowd leaving the room heartbroken in the best way possible. In a way, I wonder if the band felt the same way. After saying “it’s safe to say this is the best show we’ve ever played here,” it must be hard to leave the stage. I hope that they and the audience took the time to just be in the moment and scream their hearts out together.
