MODEST MOUSE AT THE WELLMONT THEATER IN MONTCLAIR, NJ
Modest Mouse came around to Montclair, NJ as part of their fall tour with Tropical Fuck Storm on October 10th. The audience was in for a really wonderful night as both bands showed what passionate performances are made of.
Tropical Fuck Storm took the stage first and I have to be honest, I have never heard of this band at all, however, they made their way onto my Spotify car playlist shortly after the show. Tropical Fuck Storm is an Australian rock band who can be off putting at first as they are experimental (if you’re not used to listening to this style of music). Their second song of the set, “Antimatter Animals”, is what really got my attention. The only way to describe it would be “dirty, but in a good way”. Their bassy synth tone has a dark, grungy-feeling sound. Have you ever heard something that made you feel like you should’ve been in a barely lit, dingy room filled with smoke? That’s this track, and it almost energized me in a way. In addition to their great instrumentals, there are some really beautiful vocal harmonies throughout many of their songs from the guitarist and bassist that accompany lead vocals.
Modest Mouse took the stage after, and the audience immediately starting bopping around to “Interstate 8”. I never realized how large of a band Modest Mouse was until I saw them. The band included eight members on stage as well as an impressive display of instruments. Throughout their set the band used instruments not conventionally seen in rock music which included electric violin, bugle, banjo, and even a paint bucket. I feel as though there were changes in instruments almost every song, which kept things interesting to watch. Something to note about their live performance is that every setlist on this tour is unique to the show. In Montclair, the band performed tracks such as “Satin in a Coffin”, “Fire It Up”, and “Be Brave”. Audience members danced and sang along the whole night, and you could tell the band was having a great time on stage. Modest Mouse seems to create a relaxed, but exciting atmosphere through their live performance and friendly stage banter. After playing “The World at Large”, the band stepped off for what felt like quite a long time before coming back on to perform a four song encore. Upon entering the stage again, the band brought on three brass instruments to perform “This Devil’s Workday”. They closed out their set with “Dramamine”.
Nicole DiBenedetto is a photographer based out of New Jersey. She likes making new friends and meeting new people so catch her out in the pit and say hi!