MCS Make Everything Alright At Orlando Social
If you were a crazy busy concert photographer and missed the voting on Fuse's Oven Fresh for Motion City Soundtrack's new video for "Broken Heart" (directed by lead guitarist Joshua's bro Jesse Cain) before you walked into the Social on Friday July, 20th and you received your photo pass w/ a still bloody heart (yes, a graphically crisp photo of the actual organ) in the grasp of a clenching hand¦ well then you probably would've thought that you were about to attend some kind of metal concert.
But since a colleague and I interviewed Joshua at last years Warped Tour, I've fallen into their power/punk/pop a la the Rentals with sappy, witty, lyrics - trap. So, I was guessing that the gory image on the photo pass was less of a reference to metal bands trying to conjure up emotions that a horror movie can, but more of a metaphor for the feelings a Cameron Crow film can evoke - much like wearing your heart on your sleeve. Little did I know that heart is the main character in the new video.
With lyrics like "I'll start this broken heart, Ill fix it up so it will work again, better than before," in this single off of their new album Even if it Kills Me due out in stores September 18th, frontman Justin Pierre suggests a hopeless romantic who later in the song turns on himself by stating "I'll destroy this useless heart, I'll fuck it up so it'll never beat again, Not just for me but for anyone."
All of this layered over ridiculously saturated pop that you just want to hate, but can't... kind of like that ex that swears things will change, how much you were made from the same mold, belong together and how badly you wish that you could believe them. The ending chorus of the song stating, "So much to say, but no words to convey The loneliness building with each passing day, but I never get used to it, you just have to live with it' pretty much wraps up the reality of a break up situation that everyone can identify with.
A majority of the crowd in The Social that night were clingingly engaged with the stage, yet stood completely still... almost in a zombie like state; much like you would've had their music just gotten you through your last break up. Trying to work politely through the crowd to get a decent spot to photograph from was almost futile because I'd get looks like "how dare you step between me and the connection I have with this band." But as soon as the first few beats of the hit "Everything Is Alright" off of their last album Commit this to Memory were audible half way through their set, the heads finally started bobbing, others started pogoing and everyone finally let loose.
-Alicia Lyman
www.mvwire.com