1000 Concerts: Concert: Modest Mouse

The last time Modest Mouse played their hometown of Portland was back in the summer of 2011 at the McMenamins Edgefield 100th birthday celebration. They came back in full swing after canceling a European tour in 2013 to continue work on their album. With around a dozen show tour plus festival dates, they kicked off their tour with two hometown shows on May 1st and 2nd at the crystal ballroom.

They obviously felt comfortable in front of their hometown fans, as was apparent by them coming out a half hour later than they were supposed to. They had some longer than necessary pauses between songs, with a few awkward stories told here and their by front-man Isaac Brock.

The first was an anecdote about when he was opening up a can of cat food and was reminded of how his grandmother's house used to smell, even though she didn't have a cat (which was the weird part). The other story was about how he was an extra in The Pelican Brief, and signed up his girlfriend even though she couldn't make it, so he got paid twice. Both stories ended rather abruptly, and filled some of the time spent in between songs.

They played a rather conservative set of songs that were sure to please. A handful of older songs, but they mostly stuck to their newer work, while also introducing three new songs: "Shit in your cut', 'Lampshades on fire', and 'Sugar boats (alternately known as 'heart of mine')'.

With 7+ people on stage at any given time, a whole second percussion set, and some brass instruments, they were very tight (although a tad rusty considering it had been a while since playing live). Isaac Brock did his classic, spastic, shout-singing in parts of most of the songs, and all the other band members switched between instruments so often that everyone was all over the stage, which accounted for some of the long pauses between songs.

No definitive news yet about when the new album will be released. I have a good friend who is next door neighbors to Isaac Brock, and Isaac invited her and her boyfriend to come listen to the new album. So as far as I know so far, it is almost in its completion, and hopefully will be released in the fall/winter. Their last full length album, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, was released in 2007, and the EP No One's First and You're Next came out in 2009. They are long overdue for a new release!