Live Shows: Modest Mouse and Built to Spill, MGM Music Hall at Fenway, Boston, MA 10/15/25

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Modest Mouse touring with Built to Spill is a tour that would have been a dream come true for me in college, and now over two decades later, it's still a dream line up. Of course, if I had gone to see this tour in the 90's, it would have been in a much smaller venue than MGM Music Hall at Fenway. 

I'm not sure if it was advertised as such, but I had no idea that Modest Mouse was performing The Moon & Antartica in full on this tour. It was a pleasant surprise, and explains the setlist. (I can't be the only one considering how many people were yelling out requests for the entire show._ The beginning of that album can't be beat, with the opening song "3rd Planet" being a personal favorite, "Dark Center of the Universe" being a classic at this point, and "Twin Cities Made of Ash" working the crowd into a dancing frenzy. In 2025, Modest Mouse might be the most underrated live band in music today, with frontman Isaac Brock working himself into a frenzy during songs and having more energy during their two hour set than many other musicians half his age. 

After an extended playing of the theme from Jaws, Modest Mouse came back for a five song encore. Notably, "Float On" was not included, which must have been a shock for the casual fans. But, full album shows are more for the diehards, to hear albums they love and songs they never thought they'd see performed live. I'm sure the person who kept yelling out for "Missed the Boat" was disappointed.

A side note: I was shocked at how young the crowd skewed. While there were some in attendance who must have been in college when The Lonesome Crowded West or Good News for People Who Love Bad News were released, most of the crowd seemed to be in college now, or freshly out of college.

Openers Built to Spill were excellent as always. While there were some people there that were already fans, it seemed that most in attendance were unfamiliar with the indie rock legends, and also confused by someone tuning their guitar on stage. They were won over more and more as their set went on, with the applause growing with each song. By the end, they were met with a raucous reaction, and disappointment that their time was over. Three of the last four songs were "I Would Hurt a Fly," "Big Dipper," and "The Plan," and I invite any music fan to not be won over by those songs, or Doug Martsch's epic guitar playing.

On Repeat...

The New Limits - "Normal Day"

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Photo via Facebook According to their Bandcamp profile, The New Limits are a "Boston ska band with a taste for rocksteady, reggae, soul, and rock n roll." They just released a single that shows off their sound perfectly. "Normal Day" is a laid back ska song dripping with soul. You know that joke that goes around every few months saying that ska is the sound that plays in a twelve year old's head when they get an extra mozzarella stick? The New Limits are the grown up version of that sound. This is ska/rocksteady for adults. It's ultra chilled out music with some of the best horns in the city. Even if you haven't listened to ska since your youth, you need to check out "Normal Day." This might help re-open the entire genre to you. The New Limits say of their latest single: " What is normal, anyway? Some of us just want a nine-to-five. Others cry at the thought. 'Normal Day' has nothing to do with quarantine and lots to do with figuri...
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The Beths - "Mother, Pray for Me"

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Photo by Annabel Kean For their latest single, New Zealand's The Beths have released "Mother, Pray for Me." This is a heartbreaking ballad consisting of Elizabeth Stokes' vocals and guitar with just the slightest hint of organ. It's a deeply personal song for Stokes, made obvious with how intimately the song comes across. It truly feels almost confessional, and it's quite simply beautiful. The Beths are most known for huge little indie rock gems perfect for bopping along to, but "Mother, Pray for Me" is quite the opposite. Stokes' vocals and lyrics are right up front on this one, and I can't imagine it any other way. Elizabeth Stokes says of her latest single: “I cried the whole time writing it. It's not really about my mother, it's about me — what I hope our relationship is, what I think it is, what it maybe actually is, and what I can or can't expect out of it.   “My mother is a first gen Indonesian immigrant, and very Catholic....
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Brennen Leigh - "Dumpster Diving"

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Photo by Lyza Renee Brennen Leigh has quickly become a favorite of ours, with her take on a classic country sound with a slight sense of humor. Her latest single, "Dumpster Diving," which she describes as a "trashy little tune," is everything we love about the musician. It's a vintage style country song that comes in at a punk like one minute, forty-eight seconds. With a chorus of "Dumpster diving, this ain't gonna last / Dumpster diving, 'cause baby you like trash..." how can you possibly resist. Leigh's latest gives us a decades old sound with modern sensibilities and her fantastic voice that's tailor made for this genre of music. It's almost like a collaboration between Loretta Lynn and Shel Silverstein, and who doesn't want to hear that? You can hear "Dumpster Diving" below. Don't You Ever Give Up On Love  is due out October 3 on Signature Sounds, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Brennen Leigh,...
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