One of Minnesota's hardest-working and best-selling rock bands of the past 15 years, Motion City Soundtrack is calling it quits – but giving fans one last tour first.
The poppy punk quintet's farewell tour will kick off May 5 in Portland, Ore., and culminate almost two months later with a penultimate show at the Varsity Theater on June 24. Surely, another local gig or two (or five?) should be in order, or else a lot of hometown fans will be shut out. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. via Ticketweb.
Other Midwest dates on the trek include May 22 in Des Moines (at Wooly's), June 2 in Omaha (the Slowdown) and June 22 in Milwaukee (the Rave). The last show listed is Aug. 6 at the Starland Ballroom in New Jersey. Sioux Falls band the Spill Canvas will open the tour along with Microwave.
"This was not an easy decision to make," singer/guitarist Justin Pierre said in a video posted with the announcement (and re-posted below). "Some of us tormented over this for years. Some of us, months."
The band also issued a joint statement issued on its website that read, "We have no idea what the future holds, but we know for now we are done."
Formed in 1997 by Pierre and guitarist Joshua Cain, Motion City became a mainstay of the summer Warped Tours and Los Angeles' famed punk label Epitaph throughout the '00s. The guys made a brief and modestly successful foray into major-label world with the 2010 album, "My Dinosaur Life" (produced by Mark Hoppus of Blink-182). But then they returned to Epitaph and stuck it out headlining large clubs and mid-size auditoriums -- from the Wiltern in L.A. to Irving Plaza in New York -- behind two of their best albums yet, "Go" (with producer Ed Ackerson) and last year's underrated "Panic Stations" (with John Agnello).
At home, the band's high-energy live performances were enjoyed everywhere from the Firefox Lounge of the early days to the State Fair grandstand, Target Center, First Avenue and Basilica Block Party.
With Cain leading the way, the band members have gotten married and started families in recent years, likely a big reason for the decision.
Here's the full statement from the fellas:
"It has been a quiet winter for us. We've had some time at home after a very busy 2015. With this time, we've been able to think about the past, present, and future of Motion City Soundtrack. All of this thinking has lead to several conversations, and these conversations have lead us to a very bittersweet realization: We have no idea what the future holds, but for now we are done.
Needless to say, we're feeling all the feels - you may be as well. If so, or if you've ever been touched by our music, we ask you to come out and sing along with us one last time in 2016"
