Motion City Soundtrack and Say Anything: Emo Reunion Night at the Tabernacle
Written and Captured By | Jon Freed
Tuesday night at the Tabernacle felt like stepping into a room full of songs that never really left.
Sincere Engineer kicked things off like the friend who shows up early, grabs a cheap beer, and immediately starts a great conversation. Deanna Belos was all sharp edges and heart, self-deprecating jokes, shout-along hooks, and that perfect blend of pop-punk grit and earnestness. The crowd wasn’t “warmed up” so much as won over. By the end of their set, you could feel people filing them away mentally like, okay yeah, I’m listening to this on the drive home.
See more photos of Sincere Engineer HERE
Say Anything came out messy in the way that feels intentional, Max Bemis leaning fully into chaos, oversharing, and sincerity like it’s still 2006 and feelings are the main event. Starting with Spores, my personal favorite from their 2007 record, In Defense of the Genre, Say Anything set a soft tone, immediately transitioning into Shishka (Girlfriend) to get everyone dancing and singing along. The set bounced between unhinged banter and razor-sharp emotional punches, with the crowd screaming every word like it was group therapy we all paid admission for. It was loose, it was loud, it was a little unwell (complimentary). Say Anything has always thrived in that space between brilliance and derailment, and honestly? That’s the charm.
See more photos of Say Anything HERE
Then Motion City Soundtrack did what Motion City Soundtrack does best: turn a room full of aging emo kids into a choir of catharsis. Justin Pierre’s lyrics still hit that sweet spot between anxious spiraling and punchline self-awareness, and the band sounded tight without losing the jittery energy that makes them them. When “Everything Is Alright” hit, the Tabernacle basically levitated, hands up, voices cracked, serotonin flooding the building. It didn’t feel like a nostalgia act so much as a reminder that these songs grew up with us, and somehow still know exactly where it hurts.
See more photos of Motion City Soundtrack HERE
Walking out into the Atlanta night, ears ringing, merch bags swinging, it felt less like a concert and more like a reunion you didn’t know you needed. A little sweaty. A little emotional. Very alive. All I was missing was a cigarette and skinny jeans and it would’ve truly been 2007 all over again.
