Movements visited Orlando for their sold-out show at the legendary House of Blues on March 9th. They brought friends Downward, Scowl, and Citizen on the Spring Tour 2025, which ends in Los Angeles on April 6th. The anticipation was visible in the buzzing Disney Springs location as I entered the cramped space, filled with people packed as close as sardines.
I arrived just as Downward was finishing their set, but I was able to catch the last two songs. I enjoyed their sound, which reminded me of early 2000s emo music—those tracks felt like they belonged in an indie film. Downward released their new album, Downward 2, on March 5th. The album, for me, hits a deep nostalgia of my teenage years, and I’m glad the band is getting the recognition they deserve.
Next was Scowl, fronted by Kat Moss, a powerhouse vocalist in the hardcore genre, dominating the scene. Starting with the song "Wired," the crowd was introduced to angry grunts and screams from Kat as they skipped around, demanding the audience pay attention to the loud words coming from their mouth, “Wired this way, I’m wired this way.” House of Blues perfectly set the scene for Scowl, with luminous lights bouncing off their neon green hair and a dress that read, “I wish I was real.” Scowl is set to drop a full-length album, Are We All Angels on April 4th. The band performed “B.A.B.E,” “Not Hell, Not Heaven,” and “Tonight (I’m Afraid)” from the upcoming album, displaying a new milestone sound for the band.
The stage for Citizen was dark as the band started their most iconic song of their 2013 album Youth, “The Night I Drove Alone." I am no stranger to Citizen, as I have played this song on multiple long drives, ironically screaming the song's words, “I should’ve crashed my car." That album made an impact on my younger years. Seeing some audience members crowdsurfing ignited joy in my emo heart as they reached out, singing their favorite songs directly to lead vocalist Mat Kerekes. Another crowd favorite was “Sleep,” as he let the crowd sing the words in unison, “Do you sleep anymore?” It made me feel like I was having an out-of-body experience. They ended their set with “I want to kill you,” commanding the crowd to jump and leaving the crowd high on adrenaline, heated up for the final band.
As the closer Movements took the stage, Patrick Miranda appeared, and the audience cheered while he walked under the illuminated sign above his head that read “Movements.” As "Afraid to Die" began, the loud bass reverberated through the floorboards of the industrial House of Blues, with the audience bouncing on their feet to the rhythm. Movements is a pop-punk/post-hardcore band from Orange County, California, known for high-energy performances and killer vocals. He got right into the newer stuff, playing “Lead Pipe” from their most recent album, Rukus, which the crowd showed their deep appreciation for, not missing a single word as some chose to be launched in the air while others start moshing, forming a pit in the middle of the crowd. Patrick is an amazing frontman, having clean, dynamic vocals and connecting with the audience in a way that feels like it’s just you and the band in the room. He commended the crowd's energy and effectively kept the audience engaged, showcasing an impressive selection of 17 songs, including songs from their album, Feel Something. They concluded with the song "Daylily," which had the crowd emotionally reaching up with open palms while some sang the words while crying, “I think it's time you found another reason to stay for a while.”
