Austinist Show Preview: Modest Mouse at Stubb's

There's always an incredibly annoying interesting thing that happens when a band loved by many in the "underground" all of a sudden finds its music blaring from such awful places as the radio or the nightclub or the in-house music station of your local Target Superstore. And that "interesting" thing that happens is that apparently all the talent that made the band unknown darlings in the first place disappears, thus leading a flock of one-time adorers to shout and cry things like "I used to love them, but now they SUCK." Modest Mouse, the long-beloved northwest indie warriors, quite possibly lead the pack in portraying this uncomely dynamic, and they'll be doing their thing at Stubb's tonight.

The good thing for viewers is that, strangely enough, Modest Mouse are actually still pretty good, if only you can forget for a moment that a bunch of other people believe that to be true. And the good news (for people who like good news) is that new-ish guitarist Johnny Marr (the man who, to many, symbolizes the band's fall from Pavement-like grace), is not playing on this tour. The result of that absence is that, at earlier stops on this tour, the setlist has been heavy in back catalog, which means the songs you really really loved before you realized you hated them all along may very well be played by the band that you now hate but once loved. All that said, it'll be a hell of a show, either for loving or narrowing your eyes at in the way that you narrow your eyes at things you feel yourself better than. Either way, make sure to have a good time.

Opening up are still-unknowns Mimicking Bird and Japanese Motors.