If one word could encapsulate Motion City Soundtrack’s show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg on Sept. 4, it would be energetic. The band, which has released five studio albums since 2002, showed off their combination of synth and pop rock in this free concert.

The concert brought a huge crowd, packing the hall with college-aged fans not long after the doors opened. Before the show, a few members of Motion City Soundtrack mingled with fans, both new and old, on the VIP mezzanine.

Ma Jolie, a post-punk band from Philadelphia, opened for Motion City Soundtrack. Their sound — not nearly as refined as anything Motion City Soundtrack has made — was not well received by the crowd. Before the set was halfway through, the crowd was talking over the band, with the occasional heckler yelling in between songs.

But there was almost an entirely new crowd when Motion City Soundtrack took the stage. Before the opening notes of “My Favorite Accident” had even been played, the crowd had become energized by the arrival of the Minnesotan rock band. One after another, fans dove from the stage back into the crowd, which had turned into one large circle pit.

Though they had not played a show since the end of May, Motion City Soundtrack did not miss a beat. The band played many of their fast-paced songs, without stopping for a break between them. The night’s set included 19 songs, each as spirited as the last. Fans were treated to tracks spanning the band’s entire career, with multiple songs from their debut album “I Am the Movie,” including “The Future Freaks Me Out.”

The band’s passion created a sense of nostalgia — recreating pleasant memories of middle and high school days spent blasting music to forget about the day — and it left the crowd feeling on top of the world.

A version of this article appeared in the Thursday, Sept. 11 print edition. Email Allison M Stubblebine at [email protected].