Re: Modest Mouse being boring live
Vas - I believe we had the same Modest Mouse progression. I really liked them in college (97-00), but then realized they were horribly boring live and stopped seeing them. Still listened to the music and liked it, but stopped going to see them live. Then saw them open for REM and caught their last tour. Maybe it was the influx of Johnny Marr or something, but they I thought they were actually pretty decent live now (or atleast they were - last club show was what March/April 2009??). Remains to be seen how they'll be now that he's gone again and more years have gone by.
I get your point that they are inherently a rather boring live band, but from relatively-recent experience they're no longer too boring too go see. At least i hope not.