I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: August 19, 2026] Modest Mouse 

I saw Modest Mouse open for The Flaming Lips last year.  I was right up front and really enjoyed the intensity of the show.  I asked my wife if she’d like to see them since she never had (this would be my 9th time).  The last 3 times I’d seen them were album tours (Lonesome Crowded West and Good News For People Who Love Bad News) and the opening set with the Lips.  So this would be the first time seeing them in a while when they were just doing new stuff.

And it was a LOT of new stuff.  This makes sense as this was a tour for their new album.  They played 8 songs from the album.

But they played a nice mix of newer and older songs.  In between nearly every song there was an older one.  Some were popular (Fly Trapped in a Jar) and some were deep cuts (Broke, from a 1996 EP).  What was fun about these older songs is that the band dropped from a large 7 piece band to a trio, like on those early albums.

I’m always fascinated by the Modest Mouse crowd because the people around me seemed to know the words to all of the older songs.   And I feel like Modest Mouse is pretty abrasive, so I am always surprised at the amount of fans that they have.  But they do have some really catchy songs (radio friendly ones) like Ocean Breathes Salty–this was only the second time I’ve seen them play it!  And it was the first song of the night that my wife recognized.

There was a dude next to me who seemed to know a lit of the new album as well.  Although I think we all recognized Picking Dragons Pockets since its getting a bunch of airplay.

The crowd went nuts when they played Bury Me With It (as they should) and I was super excited when they played 3rd Planet (the opening track from The Moon and Antarctica–a song I cannot believe I’ve never seen them play live before).

One of the songs my wife wanted to hear was Float On (of course).  I warned her that they may not play it (they did play it the last two times I saw them).  Indeed, the previous show started with 4 “hits.”  But Modest Mouse mixes up their setlists quite a bit, and there were few hits to be had tonight.

In fact, this might have been something of a deep cuts show (not ideal for the casual fan).  I was also surprised at the lack of banjo.  Usually, Isaac busts out he banjo and they play some of their more offbeat tracks, which is a ton of fun.  But there was no banjo.

They had played the Dogbed song at the Mann and I liked it, although I didn’t recognize it tonight. They ended with Parting of the Sensory which really delighted me–I’d only seen that one once before.

I don’t know what the band does during the encore break. My wife joked that there must be only one bathroom for the lot of them.  But like in the past, they took a pretty long time for the encore break.  It may have only been 5 minutes, but that feels endless when you’re tired already.  

They came back and Isaac had the banjo!  I told my wife that the banjo sections were usually a lot of fun.  Then Tim Rutili from Califone came out and played guitar.  I had no idea that he was part of Isaac’s side project Ugly Casanova (I don’t know much about Ugly Casanova).  They played two songs from that album (Tim had sheet music which made me laugh).  The second one featured a lengthy jam and neither was a fun weird banjo song–so I lied to my wife.  

They followed it with Fire It Up (so my wife knew three songs all night) and ended with Night on the Sun.  This song was really fun at the end as it felt like it was going to end a few times, but they kept ratcheting back up and then slowing down again.  A really fun ending.  I wasn’t sure how much my wife enjoyed the show since she didn’t know that many songs,. but she said it was really fun.  She liked the variety and Isaac’s front man behavior

When we got back to the casino parking lot the group of people in front of us were chastised for parking there, I think.  I guess maybe the casino is trying to crack down on what we’re doing?  We have one more show at the Fillmore this year, so maybe we need to go into Rivers after the show just for safety.

I think after 9 shows, I don’t need to see them again.  Although if they do a tour for the We Were Dead album (or Moon and Antarctica) I’ll definitely go to one of those.

 

 

	8/19/2026 Fillmore	8/5/2025 The Mann, Philadelphia
	Third Side of the Moon ¢ [2]	Float On ♣ [5]
	Fly Trapped in a Jar ψ [3]	Paper Thin Walls Ø [5]
	Ocean Breathes Salty ♣ [2]	Lampshades on Fire ℜ [5]
	Speak ’n Spell (Or Not) ¢	Fire It Up ψ [3]
	Broke ∞ [2]	Dark Center Of The Universe Ø [3]
	Life’s a Dream ¢	Cowboy Dan  µ [4]
	Trucker’s Atlas µ [2]	Wooden Soldiers © [2]
	Look How Far… ¢	Dogbed in Heaven / Give It a Skeleton ¢
	Bury Me with It ♣ [5]	Satellite Skin § [3]
	Knocked Down By Waves ¢	Fuck Your Acid Trip © [2]
	Trailer Trash (Perpetual Motion Machine outro) µ [2]	Dashboard ψ [4]
	Picking Dragons’ Pockets ¢	Fly Trapped in a Jar ψ [2]
	3rd Planet Ø	Teeth Like God’s Shoeshine µ [2]
	Absolutely Necessary Never ¢	The World at Large ♣ [5]
	Breakthrough ≅  [3]
	Dogbed in Heaven / Give It a Skeleton ¢ [2]
	Parting of the Sensory  [abridged] ψ [2]
	Encore
	Barnacles (Ugly Casanova cover) (with Tim Rutili) ♥
	Spilled Milk Factory (Ugly Casanova cover) (with Tim Rutili) ♥
	Fire It Up ψ [4]
	Night on the Sun ‰ [3]

 

Fillmore Philly, 2024	Fillmore Philly, 2022 [Lonesome Crowded West Tour]	The Met Philadelphia, 2021
Good News For People Who Love Bad News [full album]	Teeth Like God’s Shoeshine µ	Dramamine ≅ [4]
The World at Large ♣ [4]	Heart Cooks Brain µ [3]	Back to the Middle ©
Float On ♣ [4]	Convenient Parking µ	Cowboy Dan µ [2]
Ocean Breathes Salty ♣	Lounge (Closing Time) µ	Bury Me with It ♣ [3]
Dig Your Grave ♣	Jesus Christ was an Only Child µ	Wooden Soldiers ©
Bury Me with It ♣ [4]	Doin’ the Cockroach µ [2]	Gravity Rides Everything Ø [3]
Dance Hall ♣	Cowboy Dan (extended outro) µ [3]	Leave a Light On ©
Bukowski ♣ [4]	Trailer Trash (Perpetual Motion Machine tease) µ [2]	Satin In A Coffin ♣ [3]
This Devil’s Workday ♣ [4]	Out of Gas µ [3]	King Rat § [3]
The View ♣ [2]	Long Distance Drunk µ	Shit In Your Cut ℜ [3]
Satin In A Coffin ♣ [4]	Shit Luck µ  [2]	Float On ♣ [3]
Interlude (Milo) ♣	Trucker’s Atlas µ	Paper Thin Walls Ø [3]
Blame It on the Tetons ♣	Polar Opposites µ	We Are Between ©
Black Cadillacs ♣ [3]	Bankrupt on Selling µ [2]	We’re Lucky ©
One Chance  ♣	Styrofoam Boots/It’s All Nice on Ice, Alright µ [3]	I Came as a Rat Ø [3]
The Good Times Are Killing Me ♣ [3]	encore	encore
set two	Whenever You Breathe Out, I Breathe In (Positive Negative) ∞ [2]	Fuck Your Acid Trip ©
Dark Center Of The Universe Ø [2]	Edit the Sad Parts ∞	Fire It Up ψ [2]
Satellite Skin § [2]	Five Stop Mother Superior Rain (The Flaming Lips cover)	The Ground Walks, With Time in a Box ℜ [4]
Guilty Cocker Spaniels §	Breakthrough ≅  [2] (asked crowd prior, ” Breakthrough or Grey Ice Water”, Extended outro)	Broke ∞
The Whale Song §		Bukowski ♣ [3]
History Sticks to Your Feet §
King Rat § [4]
Gravity Rides Everything Ø [4]
encore
Third Side of the Moon [new]
Paper Thin Walls Ø [4]

 

Starland Ballroom, 2017	Sands, Bethlehem, 2018
The Tortoise and the Tourist ℜ [2]	Strangers to Ourselves ℜ
Bury Me with It ♣ [1]	Dramamine ≅ [3]
Dramamine ≅ [2]	Poison the Well [new]
Missed the Boat ψ	Lampshades on Fire ℜ [4]
Dashboard ψ [3]	Interstate 8 ∞
Pups to Dust ℜ [2]	The World at Large ♣ [3]
Grey Ice Water ¥	Satin In A Coffin ♣ [2]
Bukowski ♣ [2]	King Rat § [2]
King Rat § [1]	This Devil’s Workday ♣ [4]
This Devil’s Workday ♣[3]	What People Are Made of Ø
Out of Gas µ [2]	Float On ♣ [2]
I Came as a Rat Ø [1]	Bankrupt on Selling µ [1]
Lampshades on Fire ℜ [3]	I Came as a Rat Ø [2]
Night on the Sun ⇔ [2]	Satellite Skin §
Sugar Boats ℜ	The Ground Walks, With Time in a Box ℜ [3]
encore	encore
Shit In Your Cut ℜ [2]	Bury Me with It ♣ [2]
Breakthrough ≅ [1]	Heart Cooks Brain µ [2]
Wild Packs Of Family Dogs Ø [2]	Parting of the Sensory ψ
The Ground Walks, With Time in a Box ℜ [2]	Gravity Rides Everything Ø [2]
Fly Trapped in a Jar ψ	The View [first half acoustic] ♣
Whenever You Breathe Out, I Breathe In (Positive Negative) ∞ [1]	Styrofoam Boots/It’s All Nice on Ice, Alright µ [2]

 

Starland Ballroom, 2014	Steelstacks Pavillion 2015
Cowboy Dan µ [1]	The Tortoise and the Tourist ℜ [1]
Dark Center Of The Universe Ø	Paper Thin Walls Ø [2]
Invisible ψ	Lampshades on Fire ℜ [2]
Lampshades On Fire [new/ℜ] [1]	Out of Gas µ [1]
Dramamine ≅ [1]	Dashboard ψ [2]
> Life Like Weeds (Tease) Ø	Bukowski ♣ [1]
This Devil’s Workday ♣ [1]	This Devil’s Workday ♣ [2]
Satin In A Coffin ♣ [1]	Here’s to Now (Ugly Casanova cover) ⇓
Fire It Up ψ [1]	The Best Room ℜ
Coyotes [new/StO]	Doin’ the Cockroach µ [1]
Dashboard ψ [1]	The World at Large ♣ [2]
Pistol (A. Cunanan, Miami, FL. 1996) [new/ℜ]	Night on the Sun ⇔ [1]
Talking Shit About A Pretty Sunset ≅	Float On ♣ [1]
Wild Packs Of Family Dogs Ø [1]	The Ground Walks, With Time in a Box ℜ [1]
Tiny Cities Made Of Ashes Ø [1]	Black Cadillacs ♣ [2]
Shit In Your Cut [new/ℜ] [1]	Styrofoam Boots/It’s All Nice on Ice, Alright µ [1]
Black Cadillacs ♣ [1]	Tiny Cities Made of Ashes Ø [2]
Spitting Venom ψ	encore
Shit Luck µ [1]	Gravity Rides Everything Ø [1]
Trailer Trash µ [1]	Pups to Dust ℜ [1]
encore	A Different City Ø
Heart Cooks Brain µ [1]	The Good Times Are Killing Me ♣ [2]
The World At Large ♣ [1]
Paper Thin Walls Ø [1]
The Good Times Are Killing Me ♣ [1]

¢ An Eraser and a Maze (2026)
© The Golden Casket (2021)
ℜ Strangers to Ourselves (2015)
⇓ 180° South: Conquerors of the Useless (Original Soundtrack)
§ No One’s First, and You’re Next EP (2009)
ψ We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank (2007)
♣ Good News for People Who Love Bad News (2004)
♥ UGLY CASANOVA–Sharpen Your Teeth (2002)
⇔ Everywhere and His Nasty Parlour Tricks EP (2001)
¥ Building Nothing Out of Something (2000)
Ø The Moon & Antarctica (2000)
‰ Night on the Sun EP (1999)
µ The Lonesome Crowded West (1997)
∞ Interstate 8 EP (1996)
≅ This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About (1996)