I have a theory that Modest Mouse has the biggest “secret” fanbase.

Photography: Caleb Nikolich

Maybe even you, dear reader, only know “Float On” and possibly “Dashboard.” I am not here to shame you. I think this is the world’s majority. But you might not realize the madness of the Ice Cream Party, and subsequently, a Modest Mouse show. These people are dedicated.

Modest Mouse found themselves in Cleveland on a night suited to their home of the Pacific Northwest as an unexpected storm rolled through. A venue photographer mentioned it was the fullest he has seen Masonic Temple. Looking around before the show, it took effort to locate an empty seat, and the pit was shoulder to shoulder.

Photography: Caleb Nikolich

The storms eased up as the band took the stage, but something about the gloomy weather ushered them towards a slower start. The first half of the show contained fan favorite deep cuts across decades, and aside from little glimpses during tunes like “Tiny Cities Made of Ashes”, the band kept us swaying more so than dancing.

Well, swaying, and a LOT of singing. It is impressive that a band who has been producing music since 1993, with songs up to eight minutes long, and different setlists every night can have the majority of the room singing. I’m telling you, Modest Mouse fans are the real deal.

About midway through the show, something shifted – once we got moving with “Dashboard,” the crowd awoke, and the pit opened up. “King Rat” was our final song before the encore, and sure, the song is pessimistic, but that groove is everything. The energy was kept up through the encore, including an appearance from that pesky hit of theirs.

So… let’s talk about “Float On.” The hardcore fans say they’re over it, but I genuinely think it is the best song to experience live. It hit particularly hard after the melancholy start to the show – “Make Everyone Happy/Mechanical Birds” opened the set, a song about Brock feeling that his life really hasn’t amounted to much. As such, hearing “Float On” towards the end of the night almost felt like a confirmation, an olive branch to the fans – if you’re currently in your “Mechanical Birds” era, don’t fret, your “Float On” is coming.

The set concluded with “Spitting Venom” and this is my official request to always make it the closer. This song gives you everything you could want from the band lyrically and musically. We get a slow, folksy start and end fired up. We sing. We scream. We cry. We get many of those signature “well’s” in there.

Photography: Caleb Nikolich

I found myself particularly drawn to a family in front of us, what appeared to be a dad and his two daughters, one teenage and one even younger. All three knew every word and were singing them in each others faces. And sure, I don’t actually know the story, but from seeing the fever this fanbase brings, I felt like I understood what was going on. Brock helped that dad through a hard time, and now he can teach his kids not only about the power of music, but perseverance.

If you’re a Modest Mouse fan, this review was a bunch of things you already knew. If you’re new around here, I hope you check out one of these group therapy session concerts, and we’ll all float on.

There is still time to catch Modest Mouse on their current tour! Visit their website to learn more.

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Photography by Caleb Nikolich.