Movements perform at The UC Theatre in Berkeley on March 28, 2024. Chloe Catajan/STAFF.

BERKELEY — Stick around in a music scene long enough, and you’ll start to notice familiar faces at every show. Some songs will stay inevitable reminders of the past. And some lyrics will always hit especially hard, made evident by unanimous finger-pointing from the crowd. Even in the loudest rooms, there’s comfort and community in the music with which you grow up. But growing up with an artist can mean changing with them, too.

When Movements lead singer Patrick Miranda asked a packed crowd at The UC Theatre who had seen the band play in its early days, there was an overwhelming roar. Following two essential post-hardcore albums, the band’s latest, 2023’s RUCKUS!, is a change in sound and state of mind. Heavy tendencies meet pop playfulness and colorful, confident storytelling, which the quartet delivered loud and clear at its sold-out tour opener Thursday night.

Performing RUCKUS! cuts “Lead Pipe” and “You’re One of Us Now,” Miranda’s vocals were pronounced and resonant as guitarist Ira George, bassist Austin Cressey and drummer Spencer York kept their parts sharp and punctuated. The new material was readily matched in energy by fans singing from their guts.

Movements perform at The UC Theatre in Berkeley on March 28, 2024.

Nostalgia hit the air when the band started taking things back with heavier songs from 2016’s Outgrown Things, 2017’s Feel Something and 2020’s No Good Left to Give. At this point, Miranda and crew played in the shadows of obscure lighting while fans crowd-surfed and were constantly in motion in the pit.

Midway through the set, Movements debuted “A.M.P.,” and fans knew every word.

“We’ve never in our careers been able to play a new song live and get that kind of reaction,” Miranda said afterward. “It’s extremely validating, and we appreciate you from the bottom of our hearts.”

Between deep cuts like “Third Degree” and new gems like “Tightrope,” the changes in genre and mood felt natural. The former was protective and distant, while the latter called out for openness and vulnerability. Judging by the immense energy in the room, those ebbs and flows of emotions resonated with fans, too.

Webbed Wing performs at The UC Theatre in Berkeley on March 28, 2024.

Regardless of the years past and what’s changed, 2017 hit “Daylily” still proved to be a special closer, its bittersweet sentiments echoed by what felt like every voice in the room.

Another band whose music grew with its fans is Tigers Jaw, who preceded the headliners. A heavyweight in 2010s pop-punk, the Scranton, Penn. band started out as a quartet with a gritty punch and an affinity for David Lynch. After a few lineup changes over the years and now a quintet, it delivered a cleaner, fuller sound that explored lighter tones while still staying true to its original voice.

Guitarist Ben Walsh and keyboardist Brianna Collins took turns singing lead on songs like “Hum” and “Cat’s Cradle.” Guitarist Colin Gorman, bassist Mark Lebiecki and drummer Teddy Roberts were all precise and lyrical with their parts, bringing the weight of each song’s emotion to the surface.

The band turned in a mix of songs from its self-titled album, Charmer, spin and I Won’t Care How You Remember Me, before building up to what felt like the set’s most anticipated moment: playing “Plane vs. Tank vs. Submarine” into “I Saw Water.” Once that transition hit, the crowd turned into a frenzy.

Having flown all the way from France, Paerish opened the night with a set full of hazy, David Lynch-inspired cuts. Their performance highlighted songs off 2023 album You’re in both dreams (and you’re scared), a reference to the film “Mulholland Drive.”

Philadelphia’s Webbed Wing played next, delivering a mix of ’90s-esque power-pop goodness and heavier sounds reminiscent of Title Fight. A project of former Superheaven member Taylor Madison, the trio packed a heavy punch on songs like “Saturdays” and “Make a Dime.”

Follow Chloe Catajan at Instagram.com/riannachloe.