Live: The Movement (12-10-11)

December 12, 2011

Date: Saturday, December 10th, 2011
Line up: The Movement, Spred The Dub, Bushwood & The Crazy Carls
Location: Culture Room. Ft. Lauderdale, FL

There was a light chill in the air and spirits were high on Saturday night at the Culture Room in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida as the line outside grew in anticipation for The Movement, Spred The Dub, Bushwood and The Crazy Carls. I knew I was in for a treat since I never seen The Movement live before and everyone that heard me say it was quick to tell me how great the band was.

Before the show I was standing outside mingling with some of the merch vendors as two girls approached the table asking how much The Crazy Carls shirts were but since Alex (the lead singer) just walked away and the merch was un-priced they were told Alex would be back in a few minutes. The girls squealed and fanned themselves behind their braces screaming “Oh my god! He’s here?!” Later on, after the show, we saw the same girls screaming out Alex’s name and blowing him kisses as he walked by. I guess The Crazy Carls are like the new pop reggae boy band!

The Crazy Carls got the party started at 8:00pm and the crowd rushed to the dancefloor. They kicked things off with “Ocean Floor” and it was just the right song to set the mood for the entire night. They even busted out a pretty impressive cover of Prince’s “Kiss,” with “You don’t have to be rich to be my girl, you don’t have to be cool to rule my world…”

Bushwood took the stage next at 8:50pm and I was eager to head back inside but I spotted Jordan, the lead singer of The Movement, trying to stay incognito in a hoodie leaning over the bar. I took the opportunity to introduce myself and was able to chat with him for a little while about the new CD they have coming out early next year. And while he didn’t divulge too many secrets it was awesome to be able to stand there and have a pretty long casual conversation with someone who, seconds ago, apologized for being “socially awkward.”

After a killer performance from Bushwood, Spred The Dub kept the dance floor packed and the feet moving as the opened their set at 10:00pm with one of their upbeat fan-favorite originals, “Cheatin’ Woman”. They played a medley of originals and covers including Six Months and Wicked Games and by the time their set was over at 10:45 it was dangerous to try and walk through the crowd since everyone was dancing and flailing their arms with full cups of beer.

While The Movement was setting up everyone ventured outside for a smoke break just as it started to rain. But even a little water was no match for the excitement permeating in the air. Hardly anyone ran back inside away from the sprinkles, some even decided to stay and dance in it. As soon as Jordan struck the first cord on his guitar everyone raced back inside to try and get a good spot, including myself. After all the hype, there was no way I was missing a second of that show.

They opened their two-hour set with “Mexico” as they introduced themselves, “We are The Movement!” The guys went through a handful of songs with seamless transitions like “Mr. Policeman”, “Scary” and my favorite “Green Girl”. I thought the dance floor was packed for the other bands, but when The Movement started playing new songs like “One More Night”, “Area” and “Lonely at the Top,” the fans were packed in shoulder-to-shoulder like sardines. There may not have been any room to move but it didn’t stop the crowd from bobbing their heads and singing along.

The show ended around 12:30pm after The Movement played a three-song encore consisting of “Scream”, “Easy Love” and “Down Down.” Even after a fifteen minute encore the crowd didn’t want the band to leave, but Jordan assured them all that they would be back soon. After seeing them play live, I understand why everyone thought I was crazy for not catching one of their shows sooner. You better believe that when they come back, I’ll be front and center (right along with everyone else!)

Afterwards, all the bands came out and chatted with the fans around the merch tables and it was really great to see everyone so eager to connect with the fans and pose for picture after picture. It was a fantastic way to end such a high-powered night. And after all that dancing my feet were still aching the next morning and my converse reeked of beer from all the various drunken casualties, which is always a sure fire sign of a good night!

The Movement Set List
Mexico
Mr. Policeman
Scary
Green Girl
Throwdown
Across The Bridge
Hola
When The Feeling Goes Away
One More Night
Area
Lonely At The Top
Care
Set Sail
(Encore)
Scream
Easy Love
Down Down