By Chris Varias
Enquirer contributor

Modest Mouse's last Cincinnati-area engagement was three years ago, when the band became the first to sell out back-to-back nights at the Southgate House.

That was a feat. But it's nothing compared with the erstwhile indie rockers' current standing in the musical marketplace.

Thanks to rock radio's ubiquitous sing-along single "Float On," Modest Mouse can skip the clubs in favor of environs more suitable to a teeny-bopper following.

The band returned Thursday and played to an enthusiastic crowd of about 4,000 at Kings Island's TimberWolf Amphitheater.

It's an interesting turn of events for the Washington-state group, which released well-regarded albums on independent labels in the '90s and, until recently, seemed destined to continue as just another semi-popular band with a cult following. Even after Modest Mouse released its major label debut in 2000 on Sony, The Moon and Antarctica, Mouse's live shows relied more on '90s indie material than recent songs.

But that has changed. Thursday's 90-minute set was dominated by songs from the two major-label full-length releases, The Moon and especially this year's Good News for People Who Love Bad News - from the album's hit single through a good half-dozen more tracks.

Modest Mouse, officially operating as a four-piece group, re-created Good News' varied arrangements with help from three side men playing percussion, keyboards and standup bass, giving the band's trademark jerky rhythms an almost fluent, jam-band touch.

Lead singer Isaac Brock - no fan of amusement parks ("I like my near-death experiences to be real," he muttered) - held control of the crowd's energy level, laying back on banjo for "Satin in a Coffin," and tearing into his electric guitar on an epic-length jammy version of "Doin' the Cockroach."

The audience was responsive to everything, including the hushed "Wild Pack of Family Dogs." That one came after "Float On," so the response was to get up and go to the concession stands.

The Wolf Parade, a quartet from Montreal, opened, followed by the better-known Walkmen. The New York five-piece did a half-hour set that included their "hit" "We've Been Had," a quirky piano-rock ballad that was picked up for use in a car ad. As a testament to the fact that a jingle from a TV commercial seems to possess more power than a hit song , a palpable buzz of recognition moved through the crowd.

E-mail cv@fuse.net