Modest Mouse to take over Avila Beach with sunset show
Disclaimer: KCPR, in partnership with Shabang and Otter Productions, is hosting Modest Mouse at Avila Beach Golf Resort. The reporter who wrote this story was not involved with the planning or promotion of the event.
It’s been almost six months since Shabang Music Festival took over Dairy Creek Golf Course, bringing artists like The Backseat Lovers and Chris Lake to the Central Coast — but the party isn’t over yet. While festivalgoers patiently wait for the May 2027 lineup to drop, Shabang Beach presents an October summer, with indie band Modest Mouse and opener Caroline Rose set to light up Avila Beach Golf Resort on Thursday, Oct. 22.
In collaboration with Otter Productions and KCPR 91.3, a percentage of proceeds will go to Vintage Traditions Foundation, a San Luis Obispo-based non-profit committed to preserving the past as a living history museum and the protection of environmental resources.
To kick off the night, Caroline Rose will take the stage. Throughout their 12-year discography, the Los Angeles-based artist has stretched across various genres, with earlier eras marked by folk undertones and Appalachian sound before transitioning to pop and lo-fi tracks in recent releases. Their newest album, “Gentling the Horse at the Walt Whitman Mall” is set to be released on the Pacific Coast the night of the Avila Beach performance.
The show marks Modest Mouse’s first return to San Luis Obispo since 2018, and their fifth time gracing the county since their debut 30 years ago. Hailing initially from Issaquah, Washington, and with roots now in Portland, Oregon, the West Coast is no stranger to the band.
The venue sits alongside the sea and under a canopy of palm trees, replicating the coastal drive feeling elicited by songs such as “Float On” and “Ocean Breathes Salty” off their 2004 mainstream breakout album, “Good News For People Who Love Bad News.”
Modest Mouse was initially founded by lead vocalist and guitarist Issac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green and bassist Eric Judy. However, following Green’s departure from the band in the early 2010’s and Judy’s death due to cancer in 2022, Brock is now accompanied by touring and recording members, including bassist Russell Higbee.
Despite three decades of releases, touring and adjustment under their belt, Modest Mouse has yet to slow down.
In February, the band took to the sea for their first ever Modest Mouse Cruise, “Ice Cream Floats,” sailing from Miami to the Dominican Republic and bringing artists such as Mannequin Pussy and Built to Spill with them.
Now, the band is on tour following the release of their eighth album, “An Eraser And A Maze,” in June and their single “Barstool Blues” with Califone last month. The Avila Beach performance marks the second-to-last set of the album’s fall tour.
The concert will take place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., as the sun dips below the horizon.
Tickets are available through Posh.
