Movements Soldiers on through Houston Show Fraught with Injury and Discord

“—BECAUSE YOU WERE COLD BUT I’M COLORBLI—wait wait stop the—” 

Patrick Miranda’s voice is lost to the microphone as he moves to the edge of the small stage in Warehouse Live. 

The band stops abruptly. Fans stop moshing and singing along, all craning their necks to see what the commotion is about.

Like a ripple through water, a silence falls over the crowd.

4 Hours Before

Movements is a post-hardcore quartet from California that has touched the hearts of many with their powerful sound and confessional lyrics. Their fans are quickly becoming among the most passionate, which leads to some pretty wild shows.

For better or worse, Houston wasn’t going to let other cities one-up them in the intensity department.

Fans were lining up well before doors for the performance, which was to feature a stacked lineup including Drug Church, Trash Boat, and Boston Manor.

Doors opened at 6, and the show began promptly at 7. Whoever had booked the tour had done an excellent job. All in attendance seemed to know (or at the very least enjoy) the full lineup. 

As it is with any post-harcore or pop-punk show, the crowd was rowdy. A mosh pit in the center of the floor erupted. The closer you were to barricade, the harder you had to fight to breath.

Finally, it was time for the headliners.

The first few notes of “The Grey” twanged across the room, silencing the uproar the fans had greeted them with. The voices return after Miranda has the intro to himself, each fan screaming along with different meanings in mind.

Opening with Feel Something’s closer may seem like an odd choice, but it makes sense in context. The song talks about the cycle of chronic depression, with the loss of color representing the loss of interest and joy in life. However, the ending has a hopeful note. In many ways, it was a good introduction to the band as a whole, likely to keep any new listeners hooked.

Right after, the band dove into “Colorblind,” and were met with an equally enthusiastic reaction.

By now, the room was warm and stuffy. Fans continued jumping and moshing. Many pressed so close to each other they couldn’t even move their arms.

The show must go on | Photo by Cynthia Isabel Zelaya Ordoñez

The people at barrier, often envied at other shows, were arguably the worst off. A misstep from the back would result in a huge surge of people falling forward. As there was no room to move one’s feet, people had no choice but to tip over. No one actually hit the ground, however, since the collective fall ended at barrier. But this meant those at the front took the weight of everyone behind them. 

During the song, a commotion started at the very front, going largely unnoticed by everyone on the floor.

It was hard to distinguish between what’s part of the show and a cry for help. 

But those on stage noticed immediately. Ira George stopped playing his guitar, taking a step forward in confusion. This cued to the rest of the band that something isn’t right.

Miranda called for a full stop, scanning the back of the venue for security. After a delayed pause, someone finally hit the house lights. We were reminded of how young the band really is, how human, reacting exactly like their peers in the audience.

A young lady with heavy black eyeliner and an oversized t-shirt climbed onstage and stood in a corner away from the noise. She plugged an ear with one hand and held a phone to the other, not wasting any time in calling for emergency services.

Unlike with most cases of heat stroke (both from observation and experience), the young lady wasn’t coming to within the usual couple of minutes.

A short blond girl couldn’t stand by anymore. She pushed through, yelling that she knows CPR. She stayed by the victim’s side until EMT arrived accompanied by security.

Austin Cressy (bass) and Miranda stood against a wall on stage left beside one of their stage hands, with looks of worry and mild horror on their faces. George stood on the other side, alternating between the stage and the floor, wanting to do something but unable to.

Spencer hands out water to fans | Photo by Cynthia Isabel Zelaya Ordoñez

Drummer Spencer York started to hand out water bottles to the right, and the rest of the band quickly follow suit.

After a few more minutes, the security and EMT carried the girls out.

The band came back on stage soon after, reminding everyone to listen to their bodies and know their limits before continuing with the show.

The next song on the setlist was “Under The Gun,” and the fans jumped into it with full force. The band caught up, shaking off the effects of the commotion by the end of the song.

This was followed by two fan favorites off their debut, Outgrown Things. The show continued with a stellar energy. Kids were crowd surfing around mosh pits. Those who tumbled onstage turned right back around and stage dived into the audience.

“Submerge,” a slower song, allowed for the first break in the mosh-pit marathon. People made a little extra room to breath, swaying in place to the music.

The peace was short lived, as “Third Degree” launched the crowd into a frenzy again.

And then came another disruption, this time from the right side of the room. 

During the mosh, a young man decked a girl in the eye, causing a large bruise to swell up. Her boyfriend became confrontational. Estrella Ledezma, a fan right next to the fight, recalls the men yelling at each other until, escalating until they exchanged blows. 

“The girl was on the verge of tears,” Ledezma says. “I truly felt bad for her because her boyfriend was clearly drunk from the beginning of the show.” 

This time, security responded to the disturbance at the drop of a hat. The band looked more exasperated than worried, having a clear view of the conflict from the start.

While the situation was being diffused, they handed out more water to the kids. The people that received a bottle take a bit via waterfall, then pass it back. Everyone took a sip until the bottles are empty.

Then the lights went down and the band came back on.

Movements opted to go straight into “Full Circle” rather than finishing the song prior, and no one seemed to mind.

“You are the rustling of leaves. And you are that honeysuckle breeze. You are the sunshine!” | Photo by Cynthia Isabel Zelaya Ordoñez

At the end, Miranda announced they’ll skip the encore tease and just perform those songs right now, and the fans cheer in approval.

“Fever Dream” went on without a hitch, a great segue into the popular closer.

Written for Miranda’s girlfriend, “Daylily” has found a special place within the fan base. Earlier in the night, a green-haired girl had passed out pink balloons, asking people to release them during the song. 

At the chorus, a sea of pink orbs joined the influx of last-minute crowd surfers in the air. No one held back, with many leaving their spots at barrier to mosh before it was too late.

It’s a hopeful song, arguably the brightest the band has put out. They left Houston for the last time this year with the final lyrics as their parting words;

I think it’s time you had a pink cloud summer, ‘Cause you’ve gone too long without a smile.

I think it’s time you found another reason to stay for a while.

Movements is a rising band with an impeccable work ethic and refreshingly honest music. Instead of saying they care about their fans, they show it. Through their reactions to mishaps during the shows and positive engagement in person and online, they continue to show they’re just as down-to-earth as they were when they started.