Modest Mouse starts Macworld off with a blast

Macworld 2012 has officially started, sounding its opening salvo with Wednesday night’s Macworld | iWorld BLAST. The firepower was supplied by indie rock mainstays Modest Mouse, with frontman and guitarist Isaac BrockIsaac Brock lighting the spark.

Opening duo Talkdemonic surprised the crowd early on, having not been listed in the billing. The band is signed to Brock’s label Glacial Pace Recordings, and their combination of electronica backbeats and amplified viola got heads nodding in The Warfield. Lisa Molinaro positively shredded on her viola, bringing forth sounds from the ether than were reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix’s rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Talkdemonic whetted the audience’s appetite for good live music, but it would be an hour’s wait before the main course arrived. As the wait drew on, fans began to chant out for Modest Mouse. This prompted other, more derisive members of the crowd to chant “iMac! iMac!”

Inside the venue, there weren’t many signs that the concert was a Macworld event. The first and only one came when Paul Kent, vice president and general manager of Macworld, came onstage to address the crowd. Kent invited the concert-goers to visit the convention, and then he relinquished the stage to the headliners.

Modest Mouse’s entrance was preceded by a recording of bird noises. The crowd grew restless as the chirps went on for over five minutes, but all was well once the band finally emerged. The band then proceeded to tear through blistering set opener “Bury Me with It.”

Brock brought enough energy to spare. His intense singing and riffing throughout the show led him to wonder out loud whether he could keep his beanie on all night, as he had planned. Eventually, sweat won out, and Brock bared his hair to the crowd.

The band’s smash hit “Float On” was a predictable crowd pleaser, as was the banjo-driven “Satin in a Coffin,” a ditty that has Brock asking the question “Are you dead or are you sleeping?” and then shouting “God I sure hope you’re dead!” The lyrics for the band’s other songs are similarly misanthropic, though Brock, in speaking with the crowd, was gracious all night.

Molinaro returned to join Modest Mouse on viola for two songs, one being the drunken epic “Cowboy Dan,” arguably the night’s best moment. Another highlight was the horns-laden “King Rat,” a slow burner that somehow conjured up scenes of New Orleans.

Founding member Eric JudyEric Judy was absent as the band’s bassist, seemingly confirming a rumor that he had left the band. His replacement filled in without a hitch, effortlessly laying down the rolling bass line for the set’s final song, “Tiny Cities Made of Ashes.” By that point, most everyone on the floor was dancing, if they hadn’t been dancing already.

Those Macworld attendees who took the opportunity to get into the show were treated to a rollicking performance. For one night, The Warfield was the place to be for Macheads and Mouseheads alike.

For more of Allvoices' coverage of Macworld | iWorld 2012, check out allvoices.com/macworld2012.