Modest Mouse's Bass Troubles Hinder Set

For all the griping Modest Mouse's longtime fans (see: me) might do about their descent into commercial pop, you have to give the band credit for keeping their live set lists as diverse as their records.

Unfortunately, that was about the only thing that went right for the rockers Tuesday night as they packed the grandiose Hummingbird. Frontman Isaac Brock made his feelings about the space known early on.

"Do you feel like you're here to see Cats?" he joked at the outset before the group broke into a crystal clear version of "Paper Thin Walls."

They got past "Ocean Breathes Salty" without much trouble, but the first signs of We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank heralded a cavalcade of problems, most of which surrounded the absence of bassist Eric Judy.

Because he wasn't there, the bassist from Love As Laughter (who, to be fair, looks quite a bit like Judy) and regular member Tom Peloso filled in, and spent most of the set trying to follow the chord progressions from Johnny Marr or Brock. The fact that they were often not in synch with the rest of the band was incredibly distracting and Brock mostly looked annoyed when he wasn't singing.

Marr's contributions, however, should be noted separately because they're so significant to Modest Mouse's current live show. He's clearly brought a lot more soul to the songs, and provides back-up vocals where typically Brock has shunned them in concert. And aside from the incredibly distracting bass issues, the repertoire was extremely well chosen, if disturbingly brief.

Among the pre-encore tracks were "Trailer Trash," a superbly beefed up "Doin' The Cockroach" and a near perfect "Tiny Cities Made Of Ashes." Set closers "Bury Me With It" and "Breakthrough" were played with significant passion on Brock's part, perhaps since he frequently mentioned how much he appreciated the crowd's enthusiasm, knowing the set was somewhat of a lost cause.

When Modest Mouse left after a scant 75 minutes, he looked more than a little irritated, while the crowd pretty much refused to let the band leave. What promised to be a special night in one of Toronto's best concert venues didn't exactly live up to its billing due to the absence of one of the group's key members. But perfectionists like Brock have a habit of making up for shows like this one, so expect Modest Mouse's next visit to be a memorable one.