Formed in 1993 in Washington, and now based in Portland, helmed by frontman and only constant member Isaac Brock, Modest Mouse found mostly underground recognition throughout their early years, beloved for a quirky, off-kilter, and genre-bending indie and alternative sound. Though their third LP and major label debut The Moon & Antarctica, which arrived in 2000, drew near universal acclaim, and catapulted them to fame in the indie scene, landing them on the road with a number of exciting acts and breaking through to commercial success, it was 2004 followup Good News for People Who Like Bad News, propelled by ubiquitous breakout single “Float On,” which truly made Modest Mouse a massively famous household name, arriving at a time when indie and garage rock were having a huge cultural moment, rising up in prominence behind the pop punk of the early ’00s, as perhaps the last major mainstream moment for rock music, before it began to fade from dominance at the end of aughts. Recruiting Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr as a brief member of their ever-revolving lineup ahead of 2007’s We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, Modest Mouse continued to ride a wave of critical and commercial success for a few years, before slowing down around the turn of the 2010s, beginning a cycle of many years of teasing work on a new album and making the occasional festival stop, before kicking back into gear around 2015’s Strangers to Ourselves, and remaining incredibly active since (save for a pandemic pause).
Recent years have marked a seventh album, The Golden Casket, in 2021, some major anniversaries for their prominent early work, and lot of time on the road (after rarely playing Music City their first 20 years, the band have played here around ten times over the last decade post-Strangers to Ourselves), settling into their legacy as one of indie rock’s all-time greats. Following an appearance with the Pixies last summer at Ascend, Modest Mouse return to Nashville tonight, Oct. 9 to headline The Pinnacle for the first time, with beloved indie rock outfit Built to Spill set to open! Get tickets right here while they last.
Modest Mouse and Built to Spill perform tonight, Oct. 9 at The Pinnacle. The show is all ages, begins at 8 p.m. (doors at 7 p.m.), and tickets are available for $74.95-103.55.
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