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As Modest Mouse took the stage at the House of
Blues, ambient sounds penetrated from the speakers overhead as if
a paranormal sound check was descending upon the crowd. Then, under
the hazy hue of pale blue spotlights, the band fittingly plowed into
"3rd Planet" from their 2000 album The Moon & Antarctica,
as front man Isaac Brock declared, "This is how the world
will end."
In many ways the beginning was a preview of the evening to come,
that is, morose and at times destitute lyrics sung over an uncharacteristically
strident (and somewhat unbalanced) mix. The show had all of the weirdness
I would have expected in a Modest Mouse show (i.e. banjos, dance beats
and giant balloons), as well as several interesting moments throughout
the evening.
Following the introductory "3rd Planet," the band performed
"Devils Workday." The live version was a departure from
the tame, Tom Waits-circa-Rain Dogs rendition heard
on Good News For People Who Love Bad News. This was more electrified
and powerful (with a sense of purpose) than the more complacent recorded
version. There were times when the song even wavered into Beastie
Boys territory, with Brock shouting over alternate bass drum hits
and synthesized squeals.
They provided an audience favorite with "The View," also
from Good News. Again, the song's customarily mellower moments
were hard and driving. When Brock sang "[a]s life gets longer,
awful feels softer" the drums, guitars and lights aberrantly
pulsed, fueling disconnect between - what I perceived to be - the
song's message and the band's delivery. The band performed a few newer
selections, such as "The Whale Song" from their 2009 EP
No Ones First And You're Next, where the band backed Brock
with aggressive control, teetering on a quiet, building rage. On "Paper
Thin Walls," the band transformed the acoustic, quiet sing-along
into a driving number more akin to Kings Of Leon. And of course,
there was a peppering of the hits, including "Dashboard",
"The View", and "Float On".
The show's highlight came - to my surprise - in the new tune "King
Rat." Banjo and brass rattled my attention, with the band and
crowd shouting the introductory "Wahhhhs" in unison. The
song then switched gears to the more mellow verse, reminiscent of
The Beatles' "Come Together." Highlights came in
the interludes, which sounded like a hyper-mariachi band battling
a drunken parade, with Brock as Grand Marshal.
Throughout the course of the evening, Brock said almost nothing,
barely acknowledging the crowd, occasionally saying something remote
like, "As I tune, I guess it's appropriate to say 'hello.' The
evening was more angst-filled than expected and I perceived an overall
disconnect between musical message and delivery. Having never before
seen Modest Mouse, I was surprised by (and had not expected) the musical
vigor on stage. Maybe it was an off night, maybe they are in transition,
or maybe Modest Mouse is the hard rock act I never knew they could
be.
Full Set List:
1. 3rd Planet
2. Dashboard
3. Interstate 8
4. The Devil's Workday
5. The Whale Song
6. Trailer Trash
7. The View
8. Here's To Now
9. Satellite Skin
10. Paper Thin Walls
11. Dramamine
12. King Rat
13. Fire It Up
14. Doin' The Cockroach
15. Tiny Cities Made Of Ashes
16. Wild Packs Of Family Dogs
Encore:
17. Custom Concern
18. Cowboy Dan
19. Float On
20. Bury Me With It
Opening act Morning Teleportation's set was an encyclopedic
array of styles, time-signatures, and musical substance. One song
evoked the Kooks channeling Paul Simon's Graceland,
the next song sounding more akin to Rush. Frantic, candied
guitar was high in the mix, complimented by paced and dramatic, tom-rich
percussion. Lead vocals hinted at David Bowie (circa Hunky
Dory). If you find these guys in your city, absolutely check them
out.
-Adam Barnosky
Modest Mouse
July 26, 2010
House of Blues, Boston
www.modestmousemusic.com
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