 Mason Jennings |
 Modest Mouse |
 Mason Jennings |
Review and photos by Phil Bonyata
New poster boys for the burgeoning indie movement is muddy, backcountry folk/rock band Modest Mouse. Move over Conor Oberst, Modest Mouse has reached mainstream. They also have an underlying penchant for 80s pop. Their special brand of music is in minute one of it's fifteen minutes of fame. The vocals are flush with irony and self musings that push the discordant wit through the ringer.Headlining the nearly filled Eagles Ballroom, Modest Mouse was here to celebrate with its legions of new fans. Their rise is fast and furious - only six months ago perfecting their craft in small bars and clubs. Vocalist/guitarist Isaac Brock has stage presence with his nerdy, Weezer type cool. Culling heavily from their breakthrough album Good News for People Who Love Bad News the band reshapes country with rooted twangs that underpin the upright bass and liberal use of congos. Their music ebbs and flows with resonant explosions of sound built by the full range of instruments the band uses. They played most of their staples including recent hit "Float On." The energy is sustained and genuine. You can't help not being sucked into the swirling layers of sound that sandwich quite nicely into a finished song, but unfortunately some of the more complex arrangements got muddied and lost. Their charming sloppiness is better left in the studio than on the road.
Indie darling Mason Jennings had the formidable task of warming up the stage for Modest Mouse. The singer/songwriter soon found out that many in attendance were here to see him - judging from the overly enthusiastic audience. His genuine lyrics lack any pretentiousness (a curse many troubadors have to deal with). His rustic and unusual voice carries with it the hard-living of men twice his age. Jennings looks the part of everyman Average Joe with his close-cropped hair, brown shirt, jeans and lean frame. But, catch him on stage and you'll see a chameleon warble though intensely personal lyrics on love and loss and explode into a rockhard rage on the turn of a dime. Jennings captivates as he entertains and bursts with a tasty discord while staying rooted in the grittier recesses of folk music.
Alt-country has found its new king.
Mason Jennings
Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse
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