March 14, Friday night, and Brooklyn was buzzing. In downtown Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Paramount was hosting Movements’ Spring 2025 Tour with Citizen, Scowl, and Downward. Fans of all ages, looking for a mosh pit to let loose in and some heavy guitar to groove to, were piling into the venue. Oklahoma-based band Downward kicked off the evening’s festivities, beginning their set as fans poured into the massive main hall. The energy steadily increased throughout Downward’s brief set, preparing the stage for California natives Scowl.
Hailing from Santa Cruz, California, Scowl is known for their hard-hitting aggression and grunge-influenced sound, and their live performance was no different. Lead vocalist Kat Moss kept the energy high while snarling, screaming, and kicking across the stage. The band’s setlist included “Wired,” “Not Hell, Not Heaven,” “Special,” and “Fuck Around.” The energy bubbled over halfway through their set, with a mosh pit opening up in the center of the crowd and crowd surfers pouring over the barricade. If it wasn’t clear before the show started, it was certainly clear after Scowl’s set: we were all in for a treat that evening.
Up next were pop-punk heavyweights Citizen, the Toledo, OH natives who rose to fame in the 2010s with the release of their debut album Youth and multiple stints on the Vans Warped Tour. Citizen continues to reinvent themselves, most recently releasing their album Dogs in 2023. They began their set with the hit song “The Night I Drove Alone,” performed in complete darkness, before picking things up with “Death Dance Approximately.” With a diverse and iconic discography—some of pop-punk’s finest—Citizen managed to pack their hour-long set with fan favorites, delivering a truly amazing performance. Songs included “Hyper Trophy,” “Speaking With A Ghost,” “Dogs,” and “In The Middle of It All.”
Just when I thought we had reached peak energy inside the Brooklyn Paramount, the crowd pushed it to another level as Movements took the stage. The Orange County, CA natives lit up the venue from the opening chords of “Afraid To Die” to the final moments of their last song, “Daylily.” Known for their introspective lyrics and seamless blend of emo and alternative rock, Movements packed the 2,700-capacity venue to the brim. The entire evening was filled with crowd surfers, and the energy never wavered. Movements’ epic setlist included “Lead Pipe,” “Killing Time,” and “I Hope You Choke” from their 2023 album RUCKUS!, along with hits like “No Good Left To Give,” “Colorblind,” and “Kept.”
As someone who came of age with pop-punk music and has been heavily influenced by these bands my entire life, it was a real treat to see such a stacked lineup on the same tour. Each band brought its own distinct energy to the performance, captivating everyone in attendance. What makes Citizen and Movements so special is the way we, as their fans, have grown and evolved alongside them. Both bands’ most recent albums marked a deviation from their original, established sounds, and based on the crowd’s reaction last night, I’d say they are certainly blossoming ever upward.
