1997 was a huge year for indie rock, with acts like Radiohead, Bjork, Yo La Tengo, Elliott Smith, Blur and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds all releasing albums that are today considered among their very best. So many notable, groundbreaking (and now influential) releases in a single year is basically unthinkable in today’s era of streaming and derivative sounds. Among this wave of music greatness was the sophomore album from Pacific Northwest band Modest Mouse, The Lonesome Crowded West. Coming just before the band was signed to a major label and a few years before they would hit mainstream success, the album is a sprawling work of indie rock that encapsulates the band’s jaunty sound. It also contains some of their most beloved songs, and when the band announced a tour celebrating the album’s twenty-fifth anniversary in smaller venues (for them at least) most of the shows quickly sold out. On Saturday, November 26th, Modest Mouse capped off the second of two sold-out shows at the Crystal Ballroom in their home base of Portland, Oregon.
If The Lonesome Crowded West is your least favorite Modest Mouse album, this is not the tour to hit. Luckily, this didn’t seem to be the case for the audience packed into the Crystal Ballroom on Saturday. Most in attendance were eager to see the band play through the album in its entirety. That is exactly what they did, in the exact sequence and with no other songs mixed in. Since The Lonesome Crowded West is essentially a double LP, playing it through meant it was the entire set. Several songs on the album stretch past the five-minute mark, and seeing them performed live was a reminder of just how jammy this album is by indie rock standards. This started with the jagged post-hardcore opener “Teeth Like God’s Sunshine” followed by “Heat Cooks Brain” with its distinctive turntable guitar scratching effect. Front man Isaac Brock kept his between-song banter light but was in fine form as he busted out his acoustic for “Jesus Christ Was an Only Child” before leading the band through “Doin’ the Cockroach” with the kind of dance jam that reminded the audience just how innovative this album was during its time and how influential it was for the wave of indie rock that came after. Other standout tracks included the sprawling “Cowboy Dan,” fan favorite “Trailer Trash,” and the moody, acoustic guitar-driven “Long Distance Drunk.” For the most part, the band kept their sound tight and played each song as close to the original as they could, with impressive execution. Even with the mediocre sound of the Crystal Ballroom – a venue that is one of the worst in Portland in terms of sound, layout and general discomfort when sold out – these twenty-five-year-old songs shined in the live setting.
Though it would have been nice to see the band play more material outside of The Lonesome Crowded West, this was not an ordinary Modest Mouse show and the audience mostly knew this. Plus, it was clear that the songs and cadence of the album works as an energetic performance when played whole. Luckily though, the band would return to the stage after an abnormally long encore break and charge through three additional tunes from other albums. “Dramamine” would prove to be a highlight, with the jammy instrumental “Edit the Sad Parts” and “Paper Thin Walls” closing things out. With no songs played off their later and more commercially successful albums throughout the night, it was clear when the band left the stage that they had been intent on providing an experience for die-hard, longtime fans. In the end, Modest Mouse gave the audience a performance that stood out from an average show and was therefore a celebratory moment with one of indie rock’s most defining acts.
All photos by Greg Homolka.
