Modest Mouse Moves Mankato

The trip to Mankato was well worth the drive to see Modest Mouse perform. They were hosted by the Verizon Center on May 6th and filled the Grand Hall with people from all walks of life. Their fans ranged from college kids to parents with young children coming to see an all-ages show. The Grand Hall provided a place where the head-bangers could rock out on the floor and also an escape from the crowd in the stadium-esque seating, where someone could watch nostalgically from their own seat.

Mass Gothic opened, getting the crowd into the alternative/indie rock mood. When Modest Mouse came on, they started the show by performing “Gravity Rides Everything” from their album The Moon & Antarctica (2000). The rest of their set list included a mix of songs from their older albums such as “Doin’ the Cockroach” from The Lonesome Crowded West (1997) and “Dashboard” from We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank (2007). They also played a handful of songs from their newest album Strangers to Ourselves (2015).

One aspect of the performance that stood out was the lack of phones being used to take photos or videos. The fans attentiveness to the artist rather than a screen was refreshing. Throughout the performance, Isaac Brock, the lead singer and guitarist, joked with the crowd. He said he had been to the Hy-Vee there in Mankato and was shocked by the furniture sitting in the parking lot outside the store! He also told the audience how he bought the poncho he wore on stage during the show at an airport in Portland, and that everyone looks good in a poncho.

After their set, the band left their fans to sweat for fifteen minutes before coming back for an encore. In those fifteen minutes, Modest Mouse fans pulled out their lighters and phone lights while cheering for the band to come back. When the band returned to the stage, they played another five songs! Much of the crowd waited around patiently for them to play their hit song “Float On”, yet were left disappointed when Isaac announced they had recently taken it off their set list. Though the news did not deter their die-hard fans, many left when realizing they would not hear their favorite song. Despite that, Modest Mouse put on a great show and everyone jammed out on a Sunday night.