What better way to kick off the long holiday weekend than by catching a live show from up and comers Avi Buffalo and established vets Modest Mouse, neither of which I’d ever seen live before? I really like Thursday night shows as it is, but when they fall right before a long weekend they are exponentially more enjoyable.
The five members of Avi Buffalo (one of which I believe wasn’t a full time member) took the stage at the Royal Oak Music Theatre around 8pm to the nearly sold out venue (the Thursday night show was added after the original Friday night show quickly sold out). The first thing I noticed about the band was their youth and poise. Even though I knew they were barely out of high school (probably about a year ago?), it was still surprising to see the youngsters on stage rocking out and not at all phased by the fact that at the ages of 19 or 20 they were opening up for a band like Modest Mouse, a well established act with a huge and dedicated fan base. They started out with some of their slower tunes and as the set continued, their energy level increased in unison with the dramatic lights. Highlights: female drummers, band leader Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg’s guitar shredding and every band member contributing vocals. A real team effort. I was pretty impressed by these youngsters taking their shots on the big stage by the horns. Even though I’m still a little disturbed by their tune “Summer Cum” with lyrics of “leave all your stains with me”.
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The only way I could describe the Modest Mouse fans is rabid. The energy in the room was pretty apparent by the chants of “Modest Mouse” before the band took the stage, not to mention the deafening screams before, during and after each song. I didn’t know there were so many members in the band or that there were two drummers, but the multiple instruments on stage (including at least two trumpets and an upright bass) added to the fullness of their sound. With so many songs to choose from, I was pretty happy to hear my personal favorite, “Gravity Rides Everything” among the setlist. I’m not quite sure how the man in the rabbit suit during the encore tied into things, but all in all, I’m pretty stoked to see these guys again in a few weeks at the big Pitchfork Festival.
Modest Mouse – Ocean Breathes Salty
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Check out the pics below (which I hope are more entertaining than my show recaps). Because these are the main reason for this post. There are lots more at our flickr page too.
