Photos + Review by Mariah Reilly – It was a perfect spring day in Central New York, setting the tone for a feel-good night from the moment doors at Waterstreet Music Hall in Rochester, NY opened on April 16th for the sold-out Movements show.
The Ruckus! Tour is the second leg supporting their latest album of the same name, released this past August. The album branches out from their post-hardcore background to incorporate different genres, receiving mostly positive reviews upon release. This leg of the tour covers cities missed on the first leg in September and October.
Paerish, an alternative rock band from Paris, France, kicked off the night with a solid performance, their sound reminiscent of the Smashing Pumpkins, and Saves the Day. After the pandemic delayed the release of their second full length and shelved touring plans, frontman Mathias Court stated how excited they were to be touring in the states. Their fuzzy shoegazing guitar tones and gloomy introspection seemed to endear them to the rapidly growing crowd.
After Paerish, Webbed Wing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, followed with a variety of songs including their recent single,”Further”. The group is fronted by Taylor Madison, of Superheaven notoriety. Their sound harkens back to heroes of nineties alt rock like Third Eye Blind, but without the intriguing keep you on your toes dynamic of Stephen Jenkins. The crowd seemed to find the performance enjoyable, but didn’t seem to connect like they did for later acts.
Longtime pop punk veterans, Tigers Jaw brought the energy high before Movements took the stage. Their performance made it clear that this was old hat, with well-practiced musical delivery and the distinct interweaving of harmonies between guitarist Ben Walsh and keyboardist Brianna Collins creating that instantly recognizable Tigers Jaw sound. The peak of their set were the seamless transitions between fan favorites, “Plane vs Tank vs Submarine, I Saw Water, and Chemicals,” which saw the crowd singing along.
Finally, Movements took the stage by storm to perform Lead Pipe off of Ruckus!, with the crowd screaming back the lyrics and setting the tone for the rest of the set. Fans seem to have grown along with the band’s musical progression, adapting to the genre bending shift the band has adopted over their last two releases. The crowd’s enthusiasm never waning as the band cycled between old and new favorites, like Colorblind, Cherry Thrill, and I Hope You Choke. Frontman Patrick Miranda’s vocal prowess was on display, with near perfect delivery throughout his performance. They ended with fan favorite track, “Daylily,” and leaving very few dry eyes. With this, Movements again proved to be a force to be reckoned with, the closing perfectly encapsulating the emotionality their music inspires
