The last time Modest Mouse came to Utah, I was in Alabama for Brad's wedding. (I hope he realises what I sacrificed to be his best man.) So there was no way I was going to miss it when they came through town Monday night. Several of my friends have seen them before and have told me stories of singer Isaac Brock being so drunk he can barely perform. Brian, John, and I went to the show, and even if Isaac had gone off on an incoherant tirade about his styrofoam boots or renting a car in Malaysia, I wouldn't have cared. It would be a good show either way.
The first opener was Matt Costa, who sounded good, but wasn't very original. The second opener was Rilo Kiley. I bought their 2004 album, "More Adventurous," a couple years ago, and enjoyed it, but it never really became a staple of my collection. I even pondered deleting them from my iPod, but seeing them live made me reconsider. And want to buy their newest album, "Under the Blacklight." They play light alt-pop with just a hint of classic country and folk. And if you listen closely, you can hear some Fleetwood Mac. Jenny Lewis has a very endearing voice, and the whole band blended very well.
When Modest Mouse came out, the stage was decorated with dozens of lanterns, giving the appearance of an old fisherman's wharf, and complementing the nautical theme of their latest album, "We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank." They opened with "Bury Me With It" from 2004's "Good News For People Who Love Bad News," and Isaac Brock was in full swing. His voice is somewhere between singing and yelping, but it's contagious and unique. And when it's combined with their extraordinary guitar arrangements, their whole sound is addictive. The band, which now includes former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, had great cohesion, and, despite a few technical sound issues, were sonically brilliant. Isaac stood at the far right end of the stage, but somehow, the ensemble relied on his every move. They concentrated on material from WWDBTSES, but threw in classics like "Float On" and a 14-minute version of "Tiny Cities Made of Ashes," which, toward the end, became almost Zepplin-esque. My personal favourites included "Dance Hall" and "Dashboard," though I would liked to have heard "Ocean Breathes Salty" and "Florida." Thankfully, they stuck with mostly upbeat stuff, and kept the crowd jumping around all evening. It was a superb show, and I'm glad I finally got to see them.
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