First thing to mention, and I don't think anyone on the Mouse list has
brought this up, is what an interesting opening band The Shins are. They're
like a very very early (circa 1976) Talking Heads, and their sound was tight
enough Sunday night to make people start howling. Unfortunately, their CD
EP/7" doesn't carry any of the strength and eclecticism of their live show.
Here's hoping the new release on Sub-Pop will be better.
I've seen 764-HERO on better nights, because their bass seemed to be
mixed up too high for this show. You know how sometimes a band like Bardo
Pond can kind of overwhelm you with low frequencies til you want to fall
asleep? That was kind of the HERO show last night. James B. was full of
energy, though. But it's become more apparent over time that Polly, their
drummer, is the backbone of 764-HERO, she was great.
Modest Mouse, though, was in top form, and played what was essentially a
greatest hits collection, starting with "Trailer Trash" as the opener. Yes,
they played "Talkin Shit About a Pretty Sunset," and they also played "The
Way Down" from their early Fruit period. Isaac was in as about an animated
mood as he ever gets. The songs I remember, in no particular order, were
Convenient Parking, Doin' the Cockroach (great version), Cowboy Dan (ditto),
Dramamine, Breakthrough, Might, Third Planet, Dark Center of the Universe,
Tiny Cities Made of Ashes, Alone Down There, Wild Packs of Family Dogs, Paper
Thin Walls, and Lives. Their encore (only one, about 20 minutes long), was a
drawn-out medley of Broke, Truckers Atlas, and Tundra/Desert. Great show, a
full sellout with people everywhere, I got toasted.
Loring Wirbel
Monument, Colo.
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
