Whether you swoon over their hyper-literate songwriting or find John Darnielle's reedy, earnest voice to be an acquired taste, The Mountain Goats undeniably had everyone in The Bowery Ballroom last night under their spell. Catcalls and song requests peppered an enthusiastic set, as the barefoot Darnielle noted several times that he was having "a lot of fun," and even invited his "dear friend," Craig Finn, lead singer of The Hold Steady, to join him on "This Year."
All Eternals Deck, The Mountain Goats' third album as a full band drops today, and while its gotten oodles of good press, the fans of Darnielle's older, sparser material aren't having it. But last night's audience didn't seem phased, as they reacted to new tracks like "Damn These Vampires" with equal gusto as the older material. Tickets to tonight's and Wednesday's shows are sold out, but you might get lucky on Craigslist.
