Modest Mouse dropped Simon O'Connor from its upcoming tour dates after allegations that he sent inappropriate messages to a minor. The band said last week that he would not be joining the tour, and Seth Jabour of Les Savy Fav will take over guitar duties.
Simon O'Connor's removal
The change matters because it hits the band's live lineup before the tour starts, not after dates were already underway. Modest Mouse posted, “Simon O'Connor will not be joining us on the upcoming tour,” then added, “The good news is that Seth Jabour of Les Savy Fav will be jumping in to play guitar.”
That replacement gives the band a ready-made swap rather than a delayed search for a stand-in. Modest Mouse also told followers, “We look forward to being out there with you all.”
Reddit screenshots last month
Last month, a 16-year-old female fan posted screenshots on Reddit and said O'Connor sent her an erotic image after she liked some of his Instagram stories. She said the story she had viewed was her 17th birthday countdown and that it said that very clearly. In her account, O'Connor quickly deleted the message.
The same screenshots also appeared to show him writing, “I did it again.” O'Connor later said the phone was not hacked and, in a message the fan described, blamed the exchange on a party night and on looking at everything with one eye.
Simon O'Connor response
O'Connor said the following day, “I unequivocally oppose any sexual behavior towards minors, as a human and a parent it disgusts me.” That put his response on the record while the band had already moved ahead with the touring change.
Modest Mouse first formed in 1993 with Isaac Brock as lead singer, Jeremiah Green as drummer, and Eric Judy as bassist. O'Connor joined in 2021, so this is a personnel change inside an established touring setup rather than a new lineup experiment. Seth Jabour now carries the guitar slot for the upcoming dates, and the band has already drawn the line around who will not be onstage.
