So I finally got around to seeing Modest Mouse last night, after missing out on a sell-out show during their first go-round in Philly this summer, and then missing them again at the Virgin Festival earlier in the month because they were up against the Police in a scheduling set-up that even the NBA playoffs would be ashamed of. Nonetheless, karma was on my side as I was passed along a pair of free tickets to last nights show at Penn's Landing, and even though it rained the entire time, the band sounded utterly cohesive as I found myself grooving to songs the studio versions of which I was never really in love with in the first place. For instance, I had heard the album version of "Bukowski" so many times on my ipod that I'd at times come close to imagining myself pulling a John Belushi on Isaac Brock's banjo. However, last night, that song was definitely one of the highlights for me. As was "The View," "Dashboard," and "Black Cadillacs," among others, and although there seemed to be a noticeable contrast between much of the newer material and the more vintage M.M. songs in terms of energy and crowd connection, one can usually expect that when a band is still figuring out how to translate studio tunes into more organic, live exercises. That kind of thing often comes with time and repetition. Irregardless, the set they put on was very impressive, and they certainly didn't let down their fans who endured more that a little precipitation in order to get their musical fix for the evening. If you're a novice in the Modest Mouse camp, I've posted a couple of my favorite cuts just for the hell of it. Cheers.
No comments:
Post a Comment