Going along with yesterday's theme, I cut and pasted the majority of this post from an unrelated concert review, in this case a Tom Jones one from 1995.

Say what you like about Isaac Brock, his Vegas history, or the size of the bulge he grabs during the biggest numbers at his shows. The fact is, this guy well into his "golden years" just keeps getting better. He puts more raw, ferocious, crowd-pleasing energy into one set than an army of Green Days.

From the moment he took the stage, the crowd was ecstatic, as I.B. boomed his way through a brilliant mix of 60's classics, new album songs, and his signature covers. "Satin in a Coffin," "Black Cadillacs," and more were all greeted with deafening cheers, as Isaac wiped the sweat from his brow with a grin. It was impossible to get away from all the I.B. Wannabe's who felt it their duty to "accompany" Mr. Brock on each and every song, but he drowned them all out, flashing an amused smile as wave upon wave of panties flew onto the stage.

After the band blazed through the "Bukowski," Isaac belted out "Dramamine" with the appropriate karate punching action on the word "Dramamine." As the crowd began to disperse, a guy in his 50's remarked, "Seeing him up there on stage like that gives me new hope. My life is just beginning." Uh yeah pal, sure. Anyway, Isaac also expressed his surprise at seeing so many young people turn out for the show.

I guess there's something to say for a man who's been putting 100% into entertaining people for four decades. Some may say he's not "alternative enough" or perhaps his new album is a little too hip for his older fans - the fact is that Isaac Brock and Modest Mouse can win you over on the strength of their concerts alone. It's not hard to imagine throngs of screaming women tossing hotel room keys onto the stage...they're still doing it. And Isaac is still flashing that grin.

SET LIST:

"Black Cadillacs"
"Neverending Math Equation"
"The Good Times are Killing Me"
"Float On"
?
"Satin in a Coffin"
"Bukowski"
"Dramamine"
"Out of Gas"
"Paper Thin Walls"
"Bury Me With It"
"Ocean Breaths Salty"
"The View"
"Cowboy Dan"

Encore: "Baby Blue Sedan," "The World at Large," and "3rd Planet"

OTHER NOTES:

- Watching the crowd shout "I consider it my only art of fucking people over" is great. Watching them go from teary-eyed and lighter-waving to kicking their feet in an angry hoedown in the space of three cords is even better.

- Why is Brock's microphone glowing red?

- "It smells like burning plastic in here. What is that? Ohhhh...." I get it! You're talking about marijuana, right?

- No one in this crowd can keep a beat but they sure do know how to throw their clothing around.

- Number of random hugs from people I may or may not know: 1.

QUICKTIME FUN!

Click on the weird mini-cello below for an absolutely terrible Quicktime clip of "Trailer Trash" from night # 2.

"CLICK ME," said the mini-cello, with a sparkle in its...strings?

Night # 2? Here. Night # 1? Here.