In the end, it would all be worth it; the scrounging up $5 in change for the bouncer-turned-valet, waiting patiently on the off-ramp to Saltair Drive, which felt backed up for miles, swimming through the sea of people who had made the rational decision to be on time, and fighting to get as close as you could to the stage.
The turnout was huge. Upon further inspection, it was also diverse, with everybody from frat boys, neo-hippies, millennials and hipsters to hardcore kids, punk rockers, old and new-school emo kids; whether they were there to hear every song in the catalog or to just sing the lyrics to “Float On,” there’s no denying the draw that these two bands have across the musical spectrum.
Brand New walked out first and stepped up to their bouquet-adorned mic stands. They started off with the soothing, acoustic angst of “Soco Amaretto Lime” and then hurtled right into the frantic “Mene.” They burned through with classics like “Gasoline,” “Degausser” and “The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows.” Brand New also played a brand new track (excuse the pun) called “I Am a Nightmare” that audience members took a keen liking to. Followed by the fan favorite “Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don’t,” which had every mouth in the audience singing along. Brand New finished with “Jesus” and “Limousine (MS Rebridge)” and tossing out their respective bouquets to their screaming fans.
As the sun sank behind the Great Salt Lake, the stage was set for Modest Mouse. The PA speakers reverberated with the sound of an insect hoard as each member filed out to their spot on the stage. The buzzing sound ceased, giving way to the familiar opening guitar chords of “The World at Large.” As lead singer Isaac Brock opened his mouth the crowd joined in and sang in unison. They continued on with “Dark Center of the Universe” and “What People are Made of,” which hadn’t been played since 2002.
The way Modest Mouse goes from having four members on stage to eight —depending on the song— is part of what makes them so interesting to watch. “King Rat” and “This Devil’s Workday” utilized trumpets and a tuba, along with a banjo and fiddle to emulate a bluegrass sound. “Tiny Cities Made of Ashes” used a multitude of percussion sounds. “Lampshades on Fire” kept up its melody with keyboard and violin sounds.
Then came the moment most fans had been waiting for; the melodies of “Float On” stretched to the far end of the lawn as everyone danced and sang along. They might as well have ended it there (and to some it did) as a third of the audience began to funnel out the doors as soon as the song ended. This was their loss, because the band continued with “Grey Ice Water” and “Dashboard” before ending with “Doin’ the Roach.” They even belted out a three-song encore before calling it a night. Modest Mouse is definitely a band everyone needs to experience live at least once.