Modest Mouse with Matt Costa in Huntington Beach: 2013
Modest Mouse with Matt Costa in Huntington Beach: 2013
Modest Mouse are indie rock legends, and for good reason. Isaac Brock's slurred, intense vocals and the band's art-rock grooves have influenced a generation of indie bands. Getting to see them in Huntington Beach felt like witnessing something important.
Matt Costa opened with his California folk-pop. He's got that laid-back Orange County vibe, and his songs are warm and melodic. It was a nice warm-up for what was about to come.
When Modest Mouse took the stage, everything changed. Isaac Brock is an intense performer - his vocals have this urgency and rawness that demands attention. "Float On" is their biggest hit, the one that broke them through to a wider audience, and hearing it live reminded me why it connected with so many people. It's catchy but weird, accessible but still distinctly Modest Mouse.
"Dashboard" showed off their ability to build songs that feel epic despite being built on relatively simple elements. Brock's guitar work has this jagged quality, and the band's rhythm section creates these driving grooves that pull you in.
"3rd Planet" with its opening line "Everything that keeps me together is falling apart" - that's classic Modest Mouse. Existential lyrics delivered with conviction over art-rock instrumentation. They're not trying to make you feel good; they're trying to make you feel something real.
What makes Modest Mouse special is how they balance accessibility with weirdness. They have songs that can be indie rock radio hits, but they're still distinctly themselves - odd time signatures, unusual song structures, Brock's unique vocal delivery. They never dumbed down their music to chase success.
Brock's stage presence is fascinating - he's not trying to be a rock star or charm you. He's focused on the music, sometimes seeming almost frustrated, pouring everything into the performance. There's an authenticity to it that you don't always get from indie bands who've achieved this level of success.
The crowd in Huntington Beach was a mix of longtime fans who'd been following them since "The Lonesome Crowded West" and newer fans who discovered them through "Good News for People Who Love Bad News." Both groups seemed satisfied - Modest Mouse played a set that respected their history while proving they're still vital.
This show reminded me why Modest Mouse matters. They proved indie rock could be experimental and successful, weird and accessible, art-focused and popular. They influenced countless bands while never losing their identity. That's rare.