The Mountain Goats - started in 1991 as a lo-fi solo project by songwriter John Darnielle - played in the basement of the First Unitarian Church last Thursday, March 20. After a less-than-stimulating opening set by North Carolina's The Moaners, Darnielle took the stage alone with an acoustic guitar, playing rather obscure selections from the band's impressive discography (10 full-length albums, 3 singles compilations, 6 cassette recordings and more), delighting fanboys and girls with songs such as "Going to Reykjavik" (Nothing for Juice, 1996) and "Duke Ellington" (Protein Source of the Future... Now!, 1999). Considering the almost fanatical devotion the band inspires in its fans, this reaction is hardly surprising; the Mountain Goats are one of the few bands featured at the Church basement for whom the religious setting is completely apt. This gave the show a more friendly atmosphere than most at the venue - like listening to the older Mountain Goats records in your parents' basement with 200 of your closest friends. Later, the full band took the stage, playing a number of songs from the newly released Heretic Pride (2008), including "In the Craters on the Moon," "Sept. 15, 1983" and "Lovecraft in Brooklyn." A two-song encore featuring "Babylon Burning" and an extremely slow rendition of fan-favorite "Dance Music" (The Sunset Tree, 2005) closed out the night.
Although Darnielle's between-song patter didn't lack in humor -- "Don't tell people I played these songs when you post this set list to the Internet later," he commented on his acoustic set, instructing the audience to include the band's most popular and recognizable hits such as "This Year" and "Palmcorder Yajna" instead of these rarities - his performance seemed tired and rushed, ending far earlier than one could have expected or hoped. Although the crowd was receptive, the energy of past Mountain Goats shows simply wasn't there, a fact which Darnielle himself acknowledged at the end of his encore (perhaps illness was to blame; since the show, the band has cancelled their Australian tour). Although the choice of older and more obscure songs for the solo acoustic set compensated for this, the band as a whole (and Darnielle in particular) didn't deliver. Still, if you have the opportunity to see the Mountain Goats, take the chance - they are not a band to be missed, despite the occasional weak performance.
