Greatest Hits: The Best of Des

Last night at the Modest Mouse show at the Congress Theatre, the following items floated on as Isaac Brock played with his band in the pre-requisite baseball undershirt:

• Members of the audience, as hoisted by upraised palms;
• Multi-coloured balloons;
• Wafts of pot;
• Clouds of cigarette smoke;
• Beer run requests.

So this is popular independent rock, a musical outfit that believes it can play with just a lead guitar, bass and drums. One immensely huge hit, a couple of better-sounding tunes you recognize off of the few times you'd let the album play through, three musicians from Issaquah, Washington, whose idea of a rock show is going through the set list and listening to themselves play.

For the first time in many years, I left just before the first encore. If I had a mop top 'do, I would've stayed as part of the landscape. I did, however, enjoy watching 10-year-olds perched on their parents' shoulders -- whether or not I was impressed by the show, I think the experience of hovering above the concert watching a band that made it the right way (that is, they didn't sign with Jive Records) may possibly be one of the highlights you'd remember from your childhood. Sure beats the Mickey Mouse Club.