Modest Mouse Brings Their North American Tour to Orlando’s House of Blues

19 hours ago

3 min read

Daniel Corretjer-Rios

Writer

September 21, 2026

The House of Blues in Orlando doesn’t get many nights like this one. The venue hosted two bands on Friday who put on a full display of what modern indie rock has to offer. One is still finding its footing on bigger stages, while the other is three decades deep into one of the most illustrious careers in the genre.

Robber Robber opened, and although they might not be the most well-known band in the room, they made an immediate impression. The band is a walking oxymoron, as their lead singer’s vocals are soft and soothing, while the guitar and drums behind them are loud and brash. On paper, it shouldn’t work. In practice, it comes together well, giving them their own identity in a genre that is becoming increasingly oversaturated with artists and bands who sound too alike.

The opening track, “Pieces,” immediately established Robber Robber’s sound. One screeching guitar was enough to set the tone for the rest of the performance. It was a patient and confident start from a band that knows exactly what it wants to sound like. “Sea or War” was the peak of the set. Its studio groove translated almost exactly to the live setting, with the drums carrying the same rhythmic weight they have on the recording. The band managed to recreate what makes the song work without losing its energy onstage.

Then Isaac Brock and the rest of Modest Mouse took the stage. It was immediately clear that the band was not interested in playing a greatest-hits set. Three decades into its career, Modest Mouse has enough popular material to build an entire show around nostalgia, but Friday’s set went in a different direction.

“Third Side of the Moon” opened the set, sounding even bigger in the venue than it does on record. “Picking Dragons’ Pockets” followed and was just as strong live, with the band carrying over the details that make the studio version work.

The set continued to move between newer songs and deeper cuts from the band’s catalog. Rather than relying on the songs that made Modest Mouse famous, the band spent most of the night showing what it has been doing in the years since. That gave the performance a wider look at the band’s catalog instead of turning it into a collection of its biggest songs.

The biggest surprise was what Modest Mouse did not play. There was no “Float On,”

“Dashboard,” or “Ocean Breathes Salty.” All three are among the band's most recognizable songs, and none made the setlist. For anyone expecting those songs, their absence was obvious.

Instead, Modest Mouse put the focus on material that does not receive the same attention outside of its dedicated fanbase. It was a risky choice, especially for a crowd that may have bought a ticket expecting to hear the songs they already knew. But it also showed that the band is not relying on its biggest hits to carry a show.

Thirty years into its career, Modest Mouse still has a deep enough catalog to avoid doing that. Friday’s performance showed a band that is still playing new material, still pulling from different periods of its career and, most importantly, still giving audiences something beyond the same songs they have heard for decades.

Edited by: Jade Read

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Modest Mouse Brings Their North American Tour to Orlando’s House of Blues

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