Modest Mouse @ PNE Forum

The day of the Modest Mouse show started for me at 4am, dragging myself to the passport office in Richmond so that I could sit in line for 4 hours in order to get my passport processed. More on this when I discuss how Coachella has become my Achilles’ heel. Anyway so after the passport line I had to work, which took me right up until showtime. This long winded opening effectively is trying to let you know I was a bit tired!

I wasn’t planning on going to this show after I missed out on getting GA seats, but then they moved it to the PNE Forum, which is all GA giving me the in. Now a few things about the Forum. The sound in the forum is not great, and to add insult to injury the sound guys for MM must suck as they there was loads of feedback from Isaac Brock’s mic. Another problem I have with the PNE Forum is that it is the fact it IS entirely GA. I know this is the reason I actually got to go, but having 3000 GA fans on a floor that probably is meant for far less than that means a constant struggle for holding your ground in the crowd, and angling for the best vantage point to see the stage.

Regardless of all these issues I have with the Forum and the MM sound crew the show itself was fantastic. A really solid set with lots of energy from the band. The highlight of the night was at the end of the first set where they went into this monster jam on the songs Tiny Cities Made Of Ashes, Lucky Me Again, and Doin’ The Cockroach which was all somewhat blended together into what seemed like one huge jam. Brook was really intense, and the band had a very heavy feel going on.

The show was ended with an extended version of Spitting Venom which had another monster jam in it. Not to mention a trumpet solo! Hurray for trumpet solos. Isaac also during this song flung his guitar around by the strap until it finally went flying off backstage. He retreated back there for a good few minutes while the band jammed out. Then he came out guitar pressed up against his face while he was screaming lyrics into his guitar pickups. It was pretty cool actually, gave that “guitar is talking” feel.

So yes another good show I attended. The new songs translated well live, and the crowd was good. Sound could have been better, but what can you do?