UPAC in Kingston was sold out Fri. Oct. 17 as indie rock royalty took center stage and wowed a dazzled packed house.
Built to Spill, fronted by the inimitable vocals and songwriting of Doug Martsch, floated through a set of haunting, heaving compositions made kinetic by a world-class rhythm section of hired guns. The band’s three-decade legacy rang triumphant. Marstch’s uniquely touching voice was perfectly intact.
At intermission, the bar line was dozens deep, snaking around the lobby. Bartenders impressed, making swift work of the orders. There are only two options between sets: stay seated or mill about the crowded hallways. As such, UPAC shows are typically joyous social occasions, and this night was no exception.
Louder, more energetic bands at UPAC are always a toss-up: will the crowd sit, stand, or switch back and forth? For Modest Mouse, it was the latter. They moved from dance-ready rockers that sent people to their feet and into the aisles to hazier, slow-groove stretches that settled everyone back into their seats, eyes fixed on the stunning light show.
The headliners soared with a set weighted toward older cuts, while still pulling out plenty of crowd-pleasers. The audience was electrified and enraptured from start to finish, delivering thunderous applause. Modest Mouse are in their prime, still full of energy after a long and illustrious music career, giving off the air of veterans that still savor that spark of fun that can make a dancefloor explode, regardless of seating arrangements.
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