Modest Mouse performs at Fox Theater in Oakland, Calif. on Nov. 5, 2024. Chloe Catajan/STAFF.

OAKLAND — On Tuesday night, people of the Bay Area gathered at the Fox Theater in hopes to hear some Good News. The occasion? Modest Mouse was in town.

The Portland band delivered Good News For People Who Love Bad News in full to celebrate 20 years since the record’s release. The Oakland show coincided with election night, but even with all the feverish news-app scrolling happening throughout inside, for just two hours, everything felt all right.

Modest Mouse took the stage to the blares of “Horn Intro” over the speakers and got straight to business. There were no mentions of current affairs, but frontman Isaac Brock did take a moment to address all the phones out, sharing insight on not being in the present moment.

“I usually never have my phone out,” he said. “The one time I did out here, some guy came up to me and showed me his… thing.”

Modest Mouse performs at Fox Theater in Oakland, Calif. on Nov. 5, 2024.

On the cusp of change, the songs that followed felt as relevant as ever. “The World At Large” rang in shorter autumn days and a looming uncertainty about what could come next. “Float On,” often a rarity in the band’s headlining sets, glimmered with optimism and roaring solidarity from attendees. And then sank in themes of life, death and all the existential terrors in between, poetically carried out by Brock’s lyricism and the band’s turbulent rhythms.

Fresh off a summer co-headlining tour with Pixies, Modest Mouse was in fine form for its big anniversary run. Brock wore a blue suit while his bandmates sported earth-toned looks. The frontman, guitarist Simon O’Connor, multi-instrumentalist Keith Karman and bassist Russell Higbee piled on heavy riffs. And drummers Benjamin Weikel and Ben Massarella laid out glorious clamor with every beat and sound effect.

The group paved fresh textures onto old favorites, ending “The World At Large” with a roughened breakdown. It also leaned into distortion and disorder on the album’s centerpieces. Such arrangements were reminiscent of the abrasive, experimental tendencies of earlier releases like The Lonesome Crowded West; an added touch that longtime fans likely appreciated.

Modest Mouse performs at Fox Theater in Oakland, Calif. on Nov. 5, 2024.

The stage production, sound and color went hand-in-hand. Three vertical screens were set up in the back, projecting glitchy triptych visuals. Vibrant lights of rainbow hues and spirals saturated the room, matching the mood of each song and the band’s overall maximalist energy. The crowd fittingly saw red with “Bury Me With It” and “Satin in a Coffin,” while other songs were set to blues and greens. On the calmer “Interlude (Milo),” white rays of light spanned the room, a la Heaven’s gates.

Even with a full album to perform, Brock made time to interact with the crowd. They weren’t exactly stories about Good News, but rather, Isaac-isms, which made the 2,800-capacity setting feel a lot more intimate. The frontman shared personal anecdotes. He acknowledged a sign from a fan who had been listening since ‘99.  He also responded to a fan’s request to play “Freebird.”

“Free birds for all, everyone gets a bird!” he said. “Pigeon, you don’t even get a good bird. You get a pigeon.”

Brock also checked in, asking how “everyone was doing at this point in time.” Fans cheered and everyone in the room seemed to take in the present moment.

Modest Mouse performs at Fox Theater in Oakland, Calif. on Nov. 5, 2024.

After playing Good News front to back, Modest Mouse stepped away for a brief intermission and set change. The band returned with a full performance of 2009 EP No One’s First, And You’re Next. They closed the night with “Gravity Rides Everything” as a surprise song, a bittersweet sendoff back to the current state.

The Black Heart Procession set a scene straight out of a David Lynch film: mysterious and surreal. Two of the three members took to a dark stage, nothing but dim spotlights shining on them. Singer-guitarist Pall Jenkins started the first song, “Outside The Glass,” with a musical saw. The keyboardist followed behind, building up an ambient atmosphere. The drummer then joined onstage on the second song, “Your Church Is Red.”

The San Diego trio’s set went on to combine ambient slowcore with post-rock and moments of shoegaze sensibilities. The band bookended its set with songs off 1999’s 2: “Outside the Glass” and “A Light So Dim.” Both cuts made a seamless opener and closer, like two ends of a thread pulling into a knot.

Follow editor Chloe Catajan at Instagram.com/riannachloe.