Modest Mouse at Roadrunner: A Commemoration of "The Lonesome Crowded West"
All Photos Courtesy of Ilana Grollman
December 16 was a miserably cold and rainy night; it would take a lot to motivate anyone to brave the storms and wind to step outside. For myself and a couple of thousand other people, that motivation was to see the iconic indie rock band Modest Mouse performing at the Roadrunner. This was the second-to-last night of their “The Lonesome Crowded West” tour, meant to commemorate the 25th anniversary of their breakout second album The Lonesome Crowded West.
Modest Mouse was formed in 1992 and released their debut album This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About in 1996.
The Lonesome Crowded West is a critically acclaimed album that appeared on several lists for “Best Album of the 1990s” following its release in 1997. Additionally, it was praised for the sheer breadth and diversity of genres and styles touched on within each song. This variety is what makes this album so beloved by many fans.
The concert began with an opening set by Mattress, a Portland, Oregon-based musician with an intriguing performance style: their mixture of expressive talk-singing over trippy electronic instruments was definitely not what I was expecting. But, there was a surprise harmonica solo, so I really cannot complain.
After the opener finished his set, you could feel how palpably excited the people inside Roadrunner were. As the clock ticked closer to 9, the ending of each song played over the speakers held anticipation that the lights would finally go out. At 9:14 PM, the band came onstage and quickly thanked the audience for their patience while lead singer Isaac Brock was “dilly-dallying.” They immediately launched into their first song, “Teeth Like God’s Shoeshine,” and all of the crowd’s built-up energy and excitement surged out.
During the third song, “Convenient Parking,” I caught a brief break to get my bearings during the slower part of the first verse. Looking out at the crowd from the balcony, the floor was packed from end to end, even as far back as the doors and the bar. This show was the first time in recent memory that I witnessed the artist’s performance and the audience’s reaction to it. Seeing the moments when the crowd became possessed by the music was incredible.
As the name of the tour implies, the setlist followed chronologically The Lonesome Crowded West album, which was unlike that of other bands’ setlists. Usually, it's a mix of different eras and a guessing game for the audience as to what will happen next; Modest Mouse did not stick to this tradition. On the surface, their setup may sound risky, but as someone who used to religiously listen to this album in high school, it worked insanely well. The differences in pacing and genre-bending of each song prevented it from feeling stagnant. Plus, I was by no means the only person in the crowd who had a deeply personal connection to this album.
They played each song like it was the first time with raucous energy. Twenty-five years since the release of this album and these songs have aged like fine wine. I might be biased because of my nostalgia, but judging by the emotions of those around me, I think I’m spot on. On the balcony, I got to watch complete strangers hugging each other and dancing together, bonding instantly over the love of one album and one band. The crowd was united in screaming the chorus of “Cowboy Dan,” a hard hitter with a gritty rock sound, and dancing along to “Shit Luck,” an instrumental heavy song with powerful percussion and guitar.
I remember catching a glimpse of the center of the pit during one of the final songs on the set. There was just enough light being cast from the stage that you could make out the shape of the audience; even a few faces. Everyone moved in one big mass and—looking closely—you could see how excited they were to be there. The band didn’t say much other than giving thanks and a few digs at the sorry state of Boston weather, but they didn’t need to. The songs spoke for themselves, as did the reactions of the crowd.
The encore consisted of “Paper Thin Walls” from their 2000 album The Moon & Antarctica, “A Life of Arctic Sounds” from the 2000 album Building Nothing Out of Something, a cover of “Five Stop Mother Superior Rain” by The Flaming Lips, and finished with the self-titled track “Night On the Sun” from their 1999 EP. I can’t help but wonder if they chose two songs about the polar hemispheres as a nod to the freezing rain and gale-force winds raging on outside the venue. Either way, it was an excellent finisher for a fantastic concert. Even after 2 hours of music, I still wanted one more song.