As music listeners in this day in age, we tend to listen to music more fluently.  Having everything at the tips of our fingers makes it easier for us to listen to countless of albums in one day.  However, before that happened, we would go out and purchase an album and then spend at least a full solid week with it before moving onto the next.  In some cases, we might even spend a month on that album because how much it means to us.  Then years pass and we move on from that album, but come back to it every once and awhile.  No matter how long it was, we still know every melody and word.  The connection is still there.  Sometimes it sparks old memories or sometimes it sparks old feelings.  It’s been quite some time since I listened to Motion City Soundtrack’s Commit This To Memory, but leading up to their January 31^st New Jersey stop of the Commit This To Memory 10 year tour proved that this album was a big part of my life.

Equal Vision’s newest signing, Better Off, opened the show at Starland Ballroom.  I wasn’t too familiar with this band, but they seemed excited to be playing to the sold out crowd.  There are definitely hints of Brand New in their music, which isn’t a bad thing.  Being an opening band can be tough because you never know how many people are going to show up in the beginning.  However, I think Better Off came out on the top.  I am expecting to hear a lot more about this band this year and more tours.

http://bttroff.com/

Following Better Off was one of my favorites, The Early November. The Early November is a band I’ve been following for years, and to photograph them for the third time was a treat.  As you can tell I took way too many photos. Playing a quick 10 song set, The Early November played a good mix of all their albums.  This was the most energetic I’ve seen of the band.  Since they haven’t played in awhile, I think they ready to release.  I was glad to see Sergio still keeps the nonstop moving stage presence.   Also I didn’t think he would jump into the crowd during “Every Night’s Another Story”, but he did.  In between songs Ace Enders would say sarcastically here is another song written when we were in our teens.  Even though the guys in The Early November are much older, it’s good to see that they still celebrate their songs with the same energy.  Through everything they’ve been through, I am happy they aren’t bitter about playing their songs.

http://www.theearlynovembermusic.net/

Closing the night was Motion City Soundtrack performing Commit This To Memory from to back.  Leading up to this show, I revisisted this album and remembered why this album was important to me.  It was an album I learned to appreciate during college.  Even though it came out when I was in high school, as I went to college it became a part of me.  Not only the album but Motion City Soundtrack the band defined my past relationship.  From “Attractive Today” to “Hold Me Down”, hearing Commit This To Memory being played live brought me weak in the knees from nostalgia.  I forgot how important this album was to me, but I knew every word.  It was like meeting an old friend you haven’t seen in years, but you just pick up where you left off and it was like you were never away.  I became wrapped up with their new material, I forgot about their old material.  Of course they came out for an encore which featured B-side “Invisible Monsters” and new song “Anything At All”.  The rest was select songs from I Am The Movie, Even If It Kills, and My Dinosaur Life.  Like any album anniversary tour, the night was filled with nostalgia, but for Motion City Soundtrack, they reminded me why they were a big part of my early 20’s and why I can’t ever let them go.

http://motioncitysoundtrack.com/