The fist-pumping boy with the white beanie was drowned out by the crowd, but he was no doubt ululating like there was no tomorrow.
Whether in preparation for this weekend’s oncoming storm, or in response to that day’s rain, MS MR’s vocalist Lizzy Plapinger glorified disaster and seemed to baptize herself in chaos as she dominated the 9:30 Club stage Thursday night.
One man shouted “Your outfit is the universe!” in the roar of the crowd. Her black onesie was indeed glittering.
With their song Fantasy, MS MR forged an extraordinary emotional echolocation with the audience. Plapinger’s flaming red hair defied gravity with each flip as she grinned and swung the microphone like a lasso above her head with the proclamation that they were “there to call the assholes out” during their song Think of You.
MS MR was preceded on stage by two other bands: a duo from Seattle called Crater, and Circa Waves, a rock band from Liverpool.
The drummer from Circa Waves, Colin Jones, stood out from the others. All of the band members were clearly lost in the music but he seemed to be in another world entirely. “I completely lose myself … I like looking and seeing people smile and laugh,” he said.
“My favorite thing about being on the road is that there’s no normal schedule. I love waking up at 7 o’clock in the morning to go and do radio. Or I love waking up at 1 o’clock, getting a late checkout, and going to play a show at a normal time.”
His least favorite thing is leaving his favorite restaurants at home. He says his favorite Cantonese place is the first thing he eats once he gets back home.
Circa waves drove the audience over the edge with their song T-Shirt Weather, as Jones seemed to be possessed by the drums. He whipped his hair, stuck his tongue out, and grinned.
Jones’ command of the stage was evident in the audience’s enthusiasm. Grinning, Plapinger exclaimed “I know you can bring the fucking house down,” as an MS MR sign flashed bright red behind her. It was a wonder the faint of heart in the audience did not flee.
Both her power and her joy were evident as she thanked the audience after most songs and emanated a contagious positive energy.
In addition to fist-pumping, the boy with the white beanie was now violently thrashing his head.
MS MR transformed the audience members into criminals with their song No Guilt in Pleasure that celebrates chances taken and chaos without regret.
You will not see these audience members at church this Sunday.
They … will be elsewhere.
Featured Photo Credit: Lizzy Plapinger, the MS part of MSMR, and Max Hershenow, the MR part of MSMR, sing and dance together during the set. Hershenow admitted to bejeweling his outfit prior to the performance Thursday so he could match Plapinger. (Julia Lerner/Bloc Reporter)
Raye Weigel is a sophomore multiplatform journalism and English major and may be reached at rayanneweigel@gmail.com.
