Modern Baseball (MoBo) was an American

emo Emo is a rock music genre characterized by emotional, often confessional lyrics. It emerged as a style of and hardcore punk from the Washington D.C. hardcore punk scene, where it was known as emotional hardcore or emocore and pioneered b ...

band from

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

, Pennsylvania consisting of Bren Lukens, Jake Ewald, Sean Huber, and Ian Farmer. The band formed in 2012 at

Drexel University Drexel University is a private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist. Founded as Drexel Institute of Art, ...

and released their first album, ''

Sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...

'', on

Lame-O Records Lame-O Records is an independent record label based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded by Eric Osman to release Modern Baseball's ''Sports'', the label has been hailed as one of Philadelphia's best indie labels. History Lame-O Records was fo ...

that same year. Their following albums, '' You're Gonna Miss It All'' and ''

Holy Ghost For the majority of Christian denominations, the Holy Spirit, or Holy Ghost, is believed to be the third person of the Trinity, a Triune God manifested as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, each entity itself being God.Gru ...

'', were released on Run For Cover Records in 2014 and 2016 respectively. The group announced an indefinite hiatus in 2017.

History

Early years and success (2011–2016)

Bren Lukens and Jake Ewald met in High School, when Lukens was interested in Ewald's twin sister. They ran in different friend groups, but found common ground through music. Their name was inspired by a book that Lukens and Ewald found in Ewald’s basement, titled “Modern Baseball Techniques". Originally from

Brunswick, Maryland Brunswick is a city in southwestern Frederick County, Maryland, United States. The city is located on the north bank of the Potomac River; Loudoun County, Virginia occupies the opposite shore. The population of Brunswick was 7,762 at the 2020 c ...

, they relocated to

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

to attend college, with Lukens at

Chestnut Hill College Chestnut Hill College is a private Catholic college in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The college was founded in 1924 as a women's college by the Sisters of St. Joseph. It was originally named Mount Saint Joseph College ...

, and Ewald at

. In Philadelphia, they met fellow music lover Ian Farmer, who helped them record their first album, ''Sports'', in Drexel's recording studios. ''Sports'' was released in 2012, and soon after the group left college temporarily to pursue music as their profession. The band's first concert was in their shared house near

. The price of entry was either $3 or a picture of

Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...

. The house was later dubbed "The Michael Jordan House" which became a center for underground bands in the area. The music video for ''The Weekend'' was centered within the various. The quartet started playing house shows around the area in the basement scene. They got introduced to fellow bands like

The Menzingers The Menzingers are an American punk rock band from Scranton, Pennsylvania, formed in 2006. The band consists of Greg Barnett (vocals, guitar), Tom May (vocals, guitar), Eric Keen (bass) and Joe Godino (drums). To date, the band has released se ...

, Lee Hartney, Ted Nguyent, and Cayetana. Around this time, the band also signed with upcoming label, Run For Cover Records. The group's second full-length album, '' You're Gonna Miss It All'', was released on Run For Cover Records in 2014, reaching #97 on the ''Billboard'' 200. The group toured the United States in early 2014 with

The Wonder Years ''The Wonder Years'' is an American coming-of-age comedy/drama television series created by Neal Marlens and Carol Black. It ran on ABC from January 31, 1988, until May 12, 1993. The series premiered immediately after ABC's coverage of Super ...

. Modern Baseball toured the United Kingdom in September 2014. The band spoke ahead of their tour explaining how they manage their busy schedules. This followed a tour of the United States in a headlining spot with other bands

Knuckle Puck Knuckle Puck is an American rock band, formed in 2010 in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. The group released several EPs, one of which, '' While I Stay Secluded'' (2014), peaked at number 5 on the Heatseekers Albums chart. The band released a s ...

, Foxing,

Crying Crying is the dropping of tears (or welling of tears in the eyes) in response to an emotional state, or pain. Emotions that can lead to crying include sadness, anger, and even happiness. The act of crying has been defined as "a complex secr ...

, and Somos. In late 2015, the band announced plans for their third album that would be released in 2016 through Run For Cover Records, titled ''

''. On February 25, 2016, the band announced that the album would be released on May 13 via Run For Cover and on

Big Scary Monsters Big Scary Monsters Recording Company (often known simply as Big Scary Monsters or BSM Records) is an independent record label based in Oxford, England, UK. Its releases include La Dispute, Beach Slang, Modern Baseball, Minus The Bear, mewit ...

in the UK/Europe. ''Holy Ghost'' was produced by Joe Reinhart at Headroom Studios, in

. In May 2016, Modern Baseball embarked on The Holy Ghost Tour with Thin Lips and

Joyce Manor Joyce Manor is an American punk rock band from Torrance, California, formed in 2008. The band consists of lead vocalist/guitarist Barry Johnson, guitarist Chase Knobbe, and bassist/backing vocalist Matt Ebert. Since their formation, the band hav ...

. In fall 2016, Modern Baseball supported Brand New on tour along with

The Front Bottoms The Front Bottoms are an American rock band from Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey consisting of lead vocalist and guitarist Brian Sella and drummer Mat Uychich. History The group formed in 2006 in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey. In August 2007, after ...

. In December 2016, Ewald released the album ''Welcome'' as Slaughter Beach, Dog on Lame-O Records.

Hiatus (2017)

In January 2017, Bren Lukens released a statement saying that he would not be joining the band on their upcoming Europe/UK tour, instead opting to stay at home to focus on his mental and physical well-being. In February 2017 the band announced that they would be cancelling their US tour and taking a break to help protect their mental health and friendships. The group played no shows in the spring of 2017, during which time Ewald and Farmer worked on producing Ewald's project Slaughter Beach, Dog, and Lukens and Huber worked on solo material.Jake Ewald On His New Solo EP And The Future Of Modern Baseball
''

The Fader ''The Fader'' (stylized as ''FADER'') is a magazine based in New York City that was launched in 1999 by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. It was the first print publication to be released on iTunes. It is o ...

'', June 8, 2017. When interviewed in June 2017, Ewald remarked, "let's not call it a breakup and make a huge deal about it and have a 'Last Show Ever' or anything like that. Let's just take it easy for now, and if we wake up an want to do it again, then let's do it." A few shows followed; in July 2017, Modern Baseball played a one-off show with

Daniel Johnston Daniel Dale Johnston (January 22, 1961 – September 11, 2019) was an American singer, musician and artist regarded as a significant figure in outsider, lo-fi, and alternative music scenes. Most of his work consisted of cassettes recorded a ...

as part of his final US tour, and in October 2017, the band played three consecutive shows in their hometown of Philadelphia. In an October 2017 interview, Ewald confirmed that the band had no plans to play any more shows for the indefinite future.

Musical style

The band's debut album ''

'' has been described as indie emo,

folk punk Folk punk (known in its early days as rogue folk) is a fusion of folk music and punk rock. It was popularized in the early 1980s by the Pogues in England, and by Violent Femmes in the United States. Folk punk achieved some mainstream success in ...

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' ( ...

and

pop punk Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti-suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other pu ...

. '' You're Gonna Miss It All'' has also been described as emo,

folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers s ...

indie folk Indie folk is a music genre that arose in the 1990s among musicians from indie rock scenes influenced by folk music. Indie folk hybridizes the acoustic guitar melodies of traditional folk music with contemporary instrumentation. The genre has it ...

indie rock Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produ ...

, pop punk,

power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, an ...

, and rock. ''

'' was described as emo and indie rock.

Members

* Bren Lukens – guitar, lead vocals * Jake Ewald – guitar, lead vocals * Sean Huber – drums, backing vocals * Ian Farmer – bass, backing vocals

Discography

;Studio albums *''

'' (2012) *'' You're Gonna Miss It All'' (2014) *''

'' (2016) ;Compilation albums * ''Techniques'' (2014) ;Extended plays *'' The Nameless Ranger'' (2011) *''Couples Therapy'' (2012) *''Modern Baseball / The Hundred Acre Woods Split'' (2013) *'' MoBo Presents: The Perfect Cast Featuring Modern Baseball'' (2015) *''Split 7"'' (Modern Baseball / Thin Lips / The Superweaks) (2017)

Videography

References

{{Authority control Indie rock musical groups from Pennsylvania American emo musical groups Musical groups from Philadelphia Musical groups established in 2011 Run for Cover Records artists 2011 establishments in Pennsylvania Lame-O Records artists