I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: August 19, 2026] Califone

Modest Mouse has very diverse bands opening for them.  Sometimes they’re so odd that I don’t care if I see them.  Other times, its a band I’ve heard of.  Like tonight. I’d heard of Califone–they’ve been around for years.  But I had no idea what they sounded like (or really anything about them).  

Califone is basically the project of Tim Rutili who was a founder of the band Red Red Meat (I also don’t know anything about them either).

For this show, he had a guitarist and bassist and two drummers (one was more percussion).  It’s possible they shared a member of two with Modest Mouse, but I can’t be sure.  Turns out Tim Rutili was part of Isaac Brock’s Ugly Casanova project.

The first two songs were slow and kind of country like.  Tim was seated and on an acoustic guitar.  The first song was a Red Red Meat cover and was quite short.  Before introducing the second song, someone on the crowd shouted Freebird and Tim was so disgusted he said, Did you just shout Freebird, god, anyone who shouts that just shows they are a dick.  They show that they are a cunt–this is Philadelphia I can say that).  Wow, I was so happy to hear it said out loud (Freebird is not funny anymore) and I’m so curious what happened to that guy from his friends.  I also thought it was a massively bold move for an opening band.  But Tim has been doing this since the 90s so he’s heard it all.

The second song Porno Starlet was pretty funny.

Then he stood up for the next few songs.  These were a lot more rocking.  And I thought it was so interesting that Tim played an acoustic guitar that was massively distorted.  He also used a slide for much of it, generating even more noise.  And when he soloed it was loud and chaotic.

Habsburg Jaw was catchy–and it was nice that he rest of the band was involved more.  It had some really noisy parts at the end.  

Funeral Singers was almost a sing along, but it was Skunkish that I was really taken with.  It started slow but built into a fun noisy jam.  It was followed by another new song

They ended with Electric Fence which had an old school keyboard sound.  They really varies their stuff a lot during their 30 minute set.  When they first started I assumed the songs would be short, but it turns out they played 7 songs in thirty minutes–there were some long loud jams in there. 

They were an interesting opening band (with great attitude), although they’re probably better suited to a smaller space

1. There’s a Star Above the Manger Tonight (Red Red Meat cover) ♦
2. Porno Starlet vs. Rodeo Clown ∏
3. Habsburg Jaw ∇
4. Funeral Singers ∀
5. Skunkish ∇
6. Ox-eye ∇
7. Electric Fence å

∇ villagers (2023)
∀ All My Friends are Funeral Singers (2009)
å Heron King Blues (2004)
∏ Roomsound (2001)

RED RED MEAT
♦ There’s a Star Above the Manger Tonight (1997)