Editors Note: The more we keep rocking out shows, the more we keep growing. One of our favorite things about this business is the people we come across along the way. We’ve met another great writer/photographer who you’re mos def going to want to follow, as her shooting skills are so on point and her writing isn’t too shabby either. We’re pleased to introduce the newest contributor to The Soul Dynamic family – Sarah Baer. Enjoy her first review, it’s solid.
As I stood at the barricade on the second night of Modest Mouse’s sold out stint at Webster Hall (3.19.15) I felt like a bit of an outsider. Fans that were rattling off how many times they’ve seen the band in concert & how many re-issues of their vinyls they owned surrounded me. I myself had purchased a ticket purely because I assumed it would be a good live show due to them always selling out whenever they came to town. I own quite a few of their albums, but have never given them more than a casual listen. But whether you were part of the die-hard fans or the curious live show addict like myself, you didn’t leave disappointed.
The Show
The night was kicked off by a low-key, but nice set by the openers, Mimicking Birds, from Portland, Oregon. Their flowing melodies helped ease the crowd into the punch Modest Mouse was about to bring. As Isaac Brock & his accompanying troop took the stage the crowd came alive with jumping, cheering & random clouds of smoke.
As they wove their way thru the 21-song set the crowd hung on every note. Just about half of their songs came from their newest album Strangers to Ourselves which had been released earlier that week. They included the catchy “Sugar Boats” and the live debut of “Wicked Campaign”. But they made sure to include long-time fan favorites as well. One song noticeably missing was their radio hit “Float On” which was a bit surprising but the band also doesn’t seem like the type to play songs simply for the sing-alongs.
Isaac Brock with his shiny painted fingernails mostly kept to his craft during the show. At one point he did begin to tell a story of how he is “fucking nosey” but I don’t believe ever finished telling it once someone started yelling, “I love you” at him. But with he & his talented band’s energy there was no real need for crowd interaction. The final song of the encore “This Devil’s Workday” included brass instruments, violin and banjo to perfectly punctuate the night.
Oh, and to whomever turned on the giant fan during the encore- thank you. It was appreciated.
Wrap Up
If you’ve ever considered seeing Modest Mouse in concert, don’t miss out. I didn’t know what to expect as I had arrived 20 minutes after doors opened and still got a spot on the barricade. But by 9:00 there wasn’t an empty spot in the venue to be seen. I lucked out in that Isaac actually sets up off to the right so I was pretty much right in front of him all night. It selfishly turned out to be the perfect show to test out my new camera.
And if you have seen the band before, see them again. From studying past shows they never seem to play the same setlist twice which is refreshing for someone who sometimes sees a band multiple times on the same tour.
The band will be back in NYC on Wednesday, July 22nd to play at the Prospect Park Bandshell in Brooklyn. Tickets are still available on Ticketmaster and you can check out the setlist from this show here.
Writer + Photographer | Sarah Baer
