If Frank Zappa is a guy thing, Modest Mouse seems to be a girl thing. And by a girl thing, I mean a dystopian-white-girl-destined-for-Connecticut-but-sowing-her-drunken-crazy-granola-"Girl Power!" thing. And yes, I know Connecticut is for fucking, but that's only 10% of the population. The rest spend their time making planters out of popsicle sticks and recycling their L.L. Bean catalogs.
I have never seen so many women completely lose their shit over a band. I felt surrounded by a pack of screaming banshees doing a modified Elaine dance, fists clenched, arms and legs wildly flailing, bottom-lip appropriately tucked under, shaking like they were being electrocuted as they inadvertently beat up those around them with their flapping limbs. Modest Mouse was good, but they weren't THAT good. And Isaac Brock is cute, but not THAT cute. Perhaps there was something in the $8 beer.
But I digress. The music is the important thing here. I was completely underwhelmed with both opening acts, Man Man and Love As Laughter. In both cases, the vocals were akin to indie cookie monster and perhaps they wrote their songs to sound discordant, but if your music makes people put their hands over their ears, perhaps it is time to start thinking about a new career.
However, it was worth enduring the amateur hour because Modest Mouse was superb. They had some technical problems with extremely feedback-y mikes, but that aside, the sound was really tight and you can see Johnny Marr's influence in all their music-new and old. They played their hits and then some-"Float On", "The Ocean Breathes Salty" and "Dashboard" were great to hear, but "Doin' The Cockroach", "Education", and "Tiny Cities Made of Ash" was some of the best live music I have ever heard. The two drummers really pounded out a driving rhythm that makes you want to dance, or at least march somewhere.
Even with the possessed Lillith-flailing and the squeaky mikes, I'd definitely see them again. I'd also see a show at the United Palace Theater again. Although we had to trek all the way to the other end of Manhattan (from Tribeca to 176th & Fort Washington Ave on the A-train), the theater was beautiful and it is a great small venue (~3,000 seats) to see a band.
Requisite bad camera-phone picture...
(BTW--Hi Mog! It's been a while. Kinda missed you....)
My Trusted MOGs
Very nice...I agree. I was waiting for that one chick to throw on some bear trapping gear and throw down with that Isaac Brock wanna-be. Well, at least we didn't get bashed, spilled or vomited on.
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I thought she was wearing bear-trapping gear. My ears are still ringing, but that might be from The Killers last Saturday.
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To quote George Constanza:
"It was like a dry heave set to music."
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"I felt surrounded by a pack of screaming banshees doing a modified Elaine dance,"..fucking priceless...you;ve GOTTA start posting more...
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Thanks for the review L! Glad the headliners came through for ya!!
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SUGARBABY is BACK "a dystopian-white-girl-destined-for-Connecticut-but-sowing-her-drunken-crazy-granola-”Girl Power!” thing." man oh man you sure know how to line em up and knock em down. you SURELY need to post more. guess you answered that question then and OF COURSE we missed you (was just thinking you may post this here today) deja vu grrrrrrr @ the L
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Moovy--yes! I expected one of them to cough up a hair-ball.
Yeah, I've been a little remiss in keeping up with regular posts. I think I've been too distracted by Multiply and all that music...
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So glad to have you back! Your writing style is always colorful and full of life!
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Great review and I am afraid to really start looking around at Multiply. I have heard of people getting sucked in, and you never hear from them again
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Not that I dislike MM or anything - they're not my thing, but my 14-year-old daughter plays them sometimes and I kinda like it. However, there was something about your vivid writing that made me ever so grateful I'm no longer young, single, living in Manhattan and navigating the world of arty white girls. It's a scary place.
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I'm glad you had a good time, lady L. And I'm glad you're back. We missed you, too! I have to say that your second paragraph puzzles me to no end. Not because I don't like MM (which is true), but because I just can't seem to understand what in their music and their presence would make them the human equivalent for catnip. Each to their own I guess.
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I don't remember the ears ringing so much when I was younger either. My hearing seems to have come back now though. They say ringing is bad, indicates damage...? Mouse show sounds like it was cool. I only know one of their tunes....
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i saw Isaac and Co open their tour in seattle a couple weeks back at the historic Paramount Theatre for a sold out show that featured all the fan elements you speak of and sound glitches too but it didn't matter as the performance was 5 stars in my book. Rock n Roll is alive and well.
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Can you please give us your "Killers" review? Thanks! I'm your biggest fan! BTW, I edited my post on LCD to give you props....
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Connecticut's for fucking? Who knew?
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Connecticut's for fucking? Who knew?
My Trusted MOGs
Were you at the first or second show? I like the openers better than you did but otherwise I agree the show was amazing. Also, I second ttlb's question, what is this about Connecticut? I guess I lived with too many Mormons when I lived in CT for 8 months.