Of course they were preceded by Cobra Starship, making Trace Cyrus and Mason Musso look even less dynamic in comparison to Gabe Saporta. Not that they don't try. In fact, I don't know that I've ever seen a band try so hard to look like quintessential movie "rockstars." Unfortunately they fell more in the ranks of Lifetime movies. Enough to draw you in, but nothing compared to the quality of, for example, Warner Brothers films.
I've only ever really enjoyed two Metro Station songs, "Shake It" and "Control." They began their set singing a song that I had never even heard of, and the only people in my vicinity who were singing along were two little girls in front of me. One part of the dynamic that just does not work is the fact that, although Mason is the lead singer, they give Trace the front role, presumably because he is of Cyrus blood. And I have to be completely honest... Trace Cyrus is scary. His voice is low, raspy, and eerie, like something out of a horror movie. He spends half of his time teasing little girls by lifting his shirt to show his pale, tattoo-covered frame; the other half of the time, he is jumping awkwardly off of the bass drum, trying to show off his "rocker" moves.
All the while, Mason stood awkwardly at the front of the stage, singing and playing without moving an inch. Metro finally began playing songs that I at least recognized, and they sounded exactly like they do on the CD. So it wasn't a total loss, but I would definitely rather sit at home and listen to their CD than ever pay money to see them in concert again. If a band isn't going to put on an entertaining show or get the audience involved, their presence adds nothing to the atmosphere, and a music video is potentially more interesting to watch.
Photos by Sarah Maloy in Columbus, Ohio on May 13, 2009.
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