Why did I feign sickness and come to this particular show? My reasons are manyfold.
The first time I witnessed Motion City was at Axis, the very venue they played at last night. I saw them open for the All-American Rejects years ago, before hearing a song, and after their set demanded their album...only to be told they hadn't released one yet, and left their merch table with a two-song sampler that would stay in my cd player for the next three months until I Am the Movie was released.
A couple of years ago, MCS came back to Axis, and I interviewed Justin for a music magazine in Boston I interned at. Backstage after the show I took a picture of the keyboardist playing dice with a friend. Upon being invited to join the game, I froze and walked away. I would meet that same man once each of the next three years, until we were introduced for the fourth time this past January. When it stuck.
This summer, the manager of Axis and the adjoining Avalon club, announced plans to join the two venues as a large, seated theater venture for upscale acts.
It was at this point that I knew I had to return to Lansdowne Street for what would be my last Axis show...and kind of where "it" all began.
I showed him where I lived, the spots I used to watch his band play, and the frozen yogurt of the Ankara Cafe. We passed the time with cards and naps, until my mom and her friends arrived for dinner before the show.
Joined by the amazing friends of Deidre, John Berard, and Ben Superniceguy Matusow (on lights, of course, like the last time), the show rocked, as it always does. My mother (earplugged and with fan in hand) danced and clapped through the set. She may or may not have bossed the boys into a picture before the show on the bus...it is safe to say Matt is a bit scared to ever meet my father as he may have been called out for getting brazen with my mother. "Wait, do they seriously call him Bonecrusher?"
Post-show we went to the Beacon Street Tavern for an atmospheric dose of Guiness and the like. Dirge, Ben, Aaron, birthday boy John, Tim, Chris, and Nick joined.
After a couple of rounds and entertaining discussion of bad breakups and general catching up, the man and I bid adieu to our friends and headed to Lucky Strike for the tail-end of bowling festivities. Jimi, Jesse and I played a game...I broke a hundred (104) and won.
Made it to Kenmore for a couple hours of sleep, sighing out the exhaustion and settling in for rest...all worth the impending Wednesday of work and more running about. And another show...in my new hometown.
Apologies for the writing of this post. Coming to you from an Acela Expres 520 am train to New York, having just finish Palahniuk's latest, "Rant," and keeping in the general tenets of its written narrative.
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