Thanks, these comments help me understand people's beef with them in a live setting. I can't say I disagree with the un-engaging part.
One beef I have had is set length. On the Good News... tour the headlining show I saw was about 75-80 min, which just seems way too brief for a band with as many records playing that big of a show. Sort of like Beck's show at the Patriot Center a few years ago. Both had one-song encores after way too short sets.
I didn't see them at Virgin Fest, but someone told me they ended early there, too, which is pretty sad when you are given a shortened festival set time. Come to think of it, Beck ended up set at ACL last year about 20 minutes early, too.
At least you can't call Beck un-engaging.
One funny Modest Mouse story, I was once with my wife at a restaurant for brunch and someone working there put on Moon and Antarctica as the background music in the restaurant. I was eagerly awaiting the "anyone can easily fuck you over" refrain in about the third song. The music got yanked and replaced at that point.
