BANDS: Panic At The Disco, Motion City Soundtrack, The Hush Sound, Phantom Planet
VENUE/LOCATION: Bank of America Pavilion - Boston, MA
DATE: May 11, 2008
The 2008 Honda Civic Tour followed its 2007 predecessor in more than one way: a bill saturated with Fueled by Ramen artists, overpriced merchandise, and a funky hybrid on display for an audience barely old enough to have a permit, let alone a license.
After a brief set by Doug, the latest staple on tours featuring multiple FBR acts, Phantom Planet kicked off the show at the Bank of America Pavilion before the sun had even had a chance to set in the sky. The band, recently signed to FBR, seemed out of place with their more melodic rock that seemed more along the lines of Death Cab for Cutie and Modest Mouse than the sound normally represented by their label. The crowd of teenagers was largely uninterested in their indie rock - at least until the band closed out their set with "California," the theme of "The O.C.", the Fox angst-ridden drama that was the predecessor of today's "Gossip Girl". Nearly everyone in venue the venue knew the chorus if not the whole song - a testament to the power of theme songs.
The Hush Sound followed up, their set heavy with tunes from their new release "Goodbye Blues" though a few of the piano-rock singles ("Wine Red", "Sweet Tangerine") from Like Vines were artfully intertwined. The set was largely driven by Greta Salpeter's powerful vocals and talented fingers as she led the band through their opening song, "Medicine Man", a strong favorite for their next single. Compared to the other bands on the bill, The Hush Sound seemed to lack stage presence in such an enormous venue, suggesting that their summer headlining tour of smaller venues might be a more ideal arrangement for the Chicago-based quartet.
Then there's the one band that broke the mold. Motion City Soundtrack, the sole band not residing on FBR or any of its affiliates, presented one of the best performances of the night despite vocalist Justin Pierre's illness (and perhaps despite his penchant for chatting with the audience in a British accent). They opened with "My Favorite Accident" off 2003's "I Am The Movie" before blazing through a set composed of tracks from nearly all of the band's three full-length releases. The setlist seemed to favor the band's 2005 release, "Commit This To Memory" with "Make Out Kids", "Attractive Today", and of course, "L.G. Fuad". Suspiciously absent was the last single off the album, the ballad "Hold Me Down" though it wouldn't have meshed well with the slew of upbeat songs churned out during the 45-minute set. Still, most of the crowd failed to come to life before the final song, the sing-a-long anthem "The Future Freaks Me Out" which garnered quite a bit of radio airplay in 2003 and clearly remains a favorite.
Finally, it was time for the headliners to take the stage. After a hiatus of nearly two years to work on their sophomore release, "Pretty. Odd." Panic at the Disco re-emerged, less one exclamation point but with a whole new sound and a much improved stage presence. Far removed from their days at the circus, a maturity has emerged not only in the melodies and hooks, but in the band's persona as well. The new setup brought drummer Spencer Smith more into the crowd's line of vision while guitarist Ryan Ross and bassist Jon Walker took on larger vocal roles. Lead singer Brendon Urie swapped his leadership role and while he still stood center stage, this time around he's taking on rhythm guitar duties. While the jokes still run rampant, the four members have abandoned ringmaster outfits and extravagant makeup for sunflower-wrapped microphone stands and hobo chic fashion. Music wise, they have traded in their electronica-tinged brand of punk-pop for a Beatles-esque attempt at stardom. Careful not to alienate those who might not have picked up the new album yet, the band crafted a setlist that appeared to weigh each release evenly, though tracks from "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out" were performed early in the set, giving way to a mostly "Pretty. Odd." second half.
Four stellar performances and a great mix of sound combined to provide a great night of entertainment on the harbor. --JM
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