Published: July 2nd, 2008 11:13 PM
Last Modified: July 2nd, 2008 04:28 PM
There's nothing slow about Motion City Soundtrack's motion.
The Minneapolis pop-rock five-piece just wrapped a tour as opening act for rock's current cool kids Panic At the Disco. The crew will now swing north for two Anchorage gigs -- Thursday at Chilkoot Charlie's and July 11 at Club Millennium -- before logging on for the final three weeks of the massive Vans Warped Tour.
So much for summer.
Motion City Soundtrack is also in fast-forward offstage. The crew that started with meager indie origins 10 years ago is now catching its own Panic-worthy mainstream buzz. Recently, MCS has:
• Worked out promotions with Coke and Pepsi, including a headliner spot in the Pepsi Free Concert Series which was broadcast live online;
• Had songs played on E! and AMC networks, as well as used in video games;
• Released an acoustic album, its first, that included bonus songs on iTunes;
• Oh, and all of those big tours.
Drummer Tony Thaxton downplayed the band's seemingly sudden rise in a e-mail exchange earlier this week.
"It has all been a slow uphill climb, which is kind of what we wanted," Thaxton explained. "Our goal from day one was just to be able to play music and be able to pay our bills doing it, so everything else has just been a nice bonus."
As the band prepared for its Alaska shows, Thaxton talked about those bonuses, as well as relentless touring and taking the stage on just a few hours of rest. He also managed to answer a cliche question with his own cliche. Well played, sir.
Q. You guys just wrapped up a pretty exciting tour with Panic At the Disco. Do you think you scored some new fans? Young Panic fans? Panic fans' moms?
A. I think it was a great tour for us. We would have the usual sing-a-longs, but then after we would play, people would come up to us and say they had never even heard of us, but they bought the CD at the show. We tend to get a lot of parents telling us they liked us! It's cool to appeal to different ages like that. Gives some hope to having a career at this, and not just a flavor of the month.
Q. Did you learn anything about your band on that tour, or is it business as usual for you guys at this point?
A. We're getting old! It was a really long tour -- we hadn't been out for that long (two months) in a while. While the tour was good, we're getting old and people get anxious to get back home to their houses and loved ones.
Q. So speaking of tours: Alaska. How did these gigs come together?
A. Honestly, I am not even sure! But we're really excited! None of us have ever been, so we don't have any idea what to expect. I'm really glad we finally get to come! I don't know how many bands get this chance.
Q. Sorry about the cliche question, but what can the local crowds expect from your shows?
A. We try and give 100 percent all of the time. We want to give everybody the same show, yet, not have it be routine. We're not one of those bands to have a script of what to say, and when to say it, but we try to give the same show if there's 4,000 people watching us or 50 people watching us. We are pretty boring guys offstage, and try to save up all of our energy for the stage. So just expect an energetic good time!
Q. After AK, it's directly on to a mini-tour then another long run on the Vans Warped Tour. Talk a little about living on the road for months on end: the pros and the cons.
A. Well, thankfully we're only on the last 2 1/2 weeks of Warped. We have only done the entire thing once ... It can be a lot of fun at times, but it is exhausting. It's outdoors everyday in the summertime, and some of those shows are just incredibly hot. Showers can be rare. Some days you may end up waking up at 11, and playing at noon. There is usually a lot of press to do, signings to do. You stay quite busy. It has done great things for our band, but it's not an easy thing to do.
Q. How do you manage to perform at full capacity each night in the midst of constant touring? Any secrets for conserving energy or gathering strength for a show? Power naps? Red Bull?
A. It isn't easy. Red Bull is known to happen by some people occasionally. Stretching is definitely key. I think just in the back of your mind you have to remember, these people came to see us, which is amazing, so let's give them a show.
• Find Play editor Josh Niva online at adn.com/contact/jniva or call 257-4328.
Motion City Soundtrack
When/where: 10 p.m. Thursday, Chilkoot Charlie's (2435 Spenard Road, www. koots.com), 21-and-up; 7:30 p.m. July 11, Club Millennium (420 W. Third Ave.), all-ages.
How much: $20-$25 per show, available at www.groovetickets. com or at the door
Web: www.motioncitysound track.com, www.myspace.com/motioncitysoundtrack
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