Rock music may not hold the cultural sway it did in the days of Zeppelin or Hendrix, but don’t tell that to MODOC. Or tell them, sure, but prepare yourself for the clear-eyed defense of the genre coming your way. Like the Nashville trio’s contemporaries in Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Queens of the Stone Age and Band of Skulls, MODOC are weathering this cultural lull just fine, carrying the torch for the sort of gritty, swaggering rock music that topped the Billboard charts long before bedazzled pop tarts ever had a say.
They are true believers: “There is no gimmick,” says singer Clint Culberson. Good thing because audiences are tiring of gimmicks too. In fact, MODOC have seen it with their own eyes, playing to increasingly larger and more passionate audiences at Summerfest, SXSW and MidPoint, among other gatherings, and at over 150 shows across the South and Midwest in 2013. There’s only so long you can put up with manufactured, repetitive, candy ass dross before you want the real thing. And MODOC are plenty happy to give it to us.
MODOC is ready to rock Bunbury Music Festival. John Carlson of MODOC sat down with us prior to the festival to discuss invincibility, new music and small towns.
How did you come up with the name of the band?
The band was named after a small town in central Indiana. Our singer, Clint Culberson, moved around a lot as a kid but spent most of his "coming of age" years in Modoc, IN. Towns like the ones we grew up in usually provide equal parts adolescent happiness and angst. Though that last little bit is pretty phony. We had a show booked before we had a name and picked the first thing we could think of that wasn't "Dungeon Rat" or something.
What has been a highlight of your career thus far?
We have really loved playing some bigger festivals, such as SummerFest (Milwaukee, WI), LouFest (St. Louis, MO) and SXSW a number of times. Also, hearing our music on TV shows more frequently has been a highlight. The real monuments seem to be just around the corner so we usually are so self-criticizing and focused on the future that we don't have a good answer to that question. We'll stop and smell the roses when we can afford them : )
What can we expect at a MODOC performance?
Modoc performances are loud, intense and the purest example of seeing four guys do what they love doing more than anything in the world. We thrive at live shows and get a feeling of invincibility.
What is next for MODOC after Bunbury Music Festival?
After Bunbury we'll continue to tour and play more festivals that are later in the season, such as The Austin City Limits Festival (Austin, TX). However, we are knees deep in writing for a BIG new record and will spend the majority of late summer and early fall focusing on that project.
Enter to win tics to Bunbury Music Festival HERE!
MODOC
Bunbury Music Festival
Saturday July 12th
5:45 – 6:30
Lawn Stage
