Modest Mouse tug on nostalgic heartstrings at the Palace

Modest Mouse performed at the Palace Theatre in St. Paul on Saturday, December 10, 2022. Mattress was the opening act.Jessica Fredette for MPR

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December 12, 2022

Some bands need no introduction. They don’t require clever onstage banter or cheesy gimmicks to entertain fans. They can simply walk out on the stage and rip through a set of songs filled with the confidence that the room is full of die-hard fans who will strain their vocal cords shouting along to every word. Modest Mouse is forever one of those bands, and at Saturday’s sold-out Palace Theatre show, they proved it.

The Portland, Ore., indie rock veterans are currently on the road celebrating the 25th anniversary of their breakthrough album The Lonesome Crowded West. First released in 1997, Modest Mouse’s sophomore album is often (rightfully) lauded as an indie-rock masterpiece and has found itself on many top 100 album lists. The rare opportunity to see such a pivotal record performed in its entirety had fans absolutely intoxicated with excitement — though the Palace’s tap list may have also had something to do with that.

Opening Saturday’s show was long-time Modest Mouse supporting act and “future-lounge” singer Mattress. The one-man show consists of fellow Portlander Rex Marshall, who describes himself as “Industrial Lounge Music, Gold Suit Guy, Self Helpapocalypse Music, Synth Soul.” Donning a golden tuxedo and sleazily slithering around the stage, Marshall fit all those descriptions to a T. His unique vocal style resembles that of a 45 RPM vinyl record spun at 33, and his entire persona feels a bit like a Saturday Night Live sketch.

A man in a shiny jacket holds a microphone — Mattress. Modest Mouse performed at the Palace Theatre in St. Paul on Saturday, December 10, 2022. Mattress was the opening act.
Jessica Fredette for MPR

Experiencing a Mattress set is kind of like condensing all five stages of grief into 30 minutes. First, there’s the denial that what you’re seeing and hearing is actually happening. Second, while Mattress is by no means anger-inducing, it’s certainly confusing, to say the least. About halfway through the set came the bargaining stage. Mattress was a small price to pay to get to see Modest Mouse play The Lonesome Crowded West. Depression hit during the penultimate song, equally caused by the spectacle of Mattress being almost over and knowing that there was still one more song to go.

And finally, we reached acceptance that Mattress was actually pretty great. While his schtick may not be for everyone, he was undeniably entertaining, wildly charismatic, and served as the perfectly weird warm-up for Modest Mouse.

As the crew readied the stage for Modest Mouse, the Palace’s house playlist served as something of an unannounced second act of the evening. ELO and Olivia Newton-John’s “Xanadu” and Topo’s “Ba Ba Go, Go” bridged the strange gap between Mattress and Modest Mouse.

The house music and lights dimmed, and the ravenous crowd went wild as Modest Mouse walked on stage. For this tour, the band performed as they did when The Lonesome Crowded West was first released — as a four-piece. Joining founding frontman Isaac Brock onstage were fellow original member Jeremiah Green on drums, Russell Higbee on bass, and relative newcomer Simon O’Connor on guitar.

As soon as their guitars were strapped on and plugged in, Brock began plucking out the chaotically dissonant intro riff of the album’s harmonic-laden opening track, “ Teeth Like God’s Shoeshine.” The crowd immediately bounced and yelled along to Brock’s signature sing-screaming. We were off with an energy that didn’t let up for the entirety of The Lonesome Crowded West set.

A man sings into a microphone with a band behind him — Modest Mouse performed at the Palace Theatre in St. Paul on Saturday, December 10, 2022. Mattress was the opening act.
Jessica Fredette for MPR

“Teeth” gave way to “Heart Cooks Brain,” and there was the first of several audible groans from the crowd. But these weren’t groans of disgust or dislike but instead ones of pain and sadness. They knew this would hurt, and they were prepared for it. And hurt it did. “Heart Cooks Brain” deals with Brock’s feelings of depression, loneliness, and general lack of purpose, all while somehow comparing his brain with a burger without sounding corny. (Other groan-inducers throughout the evening included “Trailer Trash” and “Grey Ice Water.”)

While Modest Mouse didn’t have an elaborate stage setup, they did have an impressive lighting display. Throughout the show, the racks of lights behind the band went from solid bars to shimmering spotlights to dancing, laser-like beams. The lights matched the aggression of the sets’ louder, more pounding songs and drew back during the mellower, more subdued tracks.

As the set continued and the band worked through the album, Brock only addressed the crowd a couple of times to ask how everyone was doing and to offer his appreciation. During these rare moments, it was difficult not to notice that the tone, cadence, and rhythm of his speaking voice were almost identical to his unique vocal delivery while singing.

As the album's last notes rang out and Modest Mouse walked off stage, there was no doubt that they left fans wanting more. The cheers didn’t let up as the minutes ticked by between the main set and the inevitable encore. Finally, after much anticipation, the lights came back on, and the band was again onstage to deliver four non-Lonesome Crowded West tracks. First up was a flawless cover of the Flaming Lips’ “Five Stop Mother Superior Rain” (“That’s a Flaming Lips song that we like to play, so thanks to the Flaming Lips for writing that sh*t.”)

Following the cover were two songs from the 2000 compilation Building Nothing Out of Something: the philosophical “Never Ending Math Equation” and the lamenting “Grey Ice Water.” Capping off the evening was “3rd Planet” off of 2000’s The Moon & Antarctica.

The Lonesome Crowded West is so deeply cherished by Modest Mouse fans (and the greater indie rock scene at large) for a few reasons. First, it features an incredibly diverse set of songs. From the chaos of “Teeth Like God’s Shoeshine” to the solitude of “Heart Cooks Brain” to the somberness of “Bankrupt On Selling” to the wandering aimlessness of “Lounge (Closing Time)” and “Truckers Atlas” to the harshness of “Doin’, The Cockroach,” the album is a portal into Brock’s life and mental well-being all packaged around often borderline absurd yet somehow deeply personal and emotional lyrics. It’s relatable in a way that many other indie releases can only attempt.

Second, The Lonesome Crowded West is nostalgia in music form. It sounds like a very specific time, place, and emotional state, though the details of those specifics vary greatly by listener. At Saturday’s show, all that nostalgia hung thick like a cloud inside the Palace. From the opening notes of “Teeth Like God’s Shoeshine” to the final drum fill of “Styrofoam Boots/It's All Nice on Ice, Alright,” Brock transported fans right back to their first listening of The Lonesome Crowded West.

And third, The Lonesome Crowded West — like the band who created it — is raw, full of emotion, and best experienced in a room full of die-hard fans straining their vocal cords while shouting along to every word.

Modest Mouse & Mattress