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The Mountain Goats

Rock

The Mountain Goats Tickets

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About

The Mountain Goats on Tour

The Mountain Goats are known first and foremost for John Darnielle's rich storytelling. He has spun heart-wrenching songs from all manner of inspirational sources, from Bible verses to photos of Judy Garland, and from fictional death metal bands to his own experiences with addiction. The band's 2019 album In League with Dragons (their 17th) draws extensively from Dungeons & Dragons, the game. Even so, none of it is novelty. Set to evocative melodies and an earnest mix of folk and rock, Mountain Goats songs are full of intimate detail, unforgettable characters, gripping narratives and intense emotion. Onstage, Darnielle's devotion to his craft comes to life in a hail of spirited strumming and vocal inflection as he's egged on by a crowd that knows every word. And it doesn't hurt that the Durham, North Carolina, outfit is rounded out by bassist Peter Hughes, drummer Jon Wurster (also of Superchunk) and Matt Douglas, who plays everything from flute to keys in order to properly soundtrack Darnielle's vision.

The Mountain Goats in Concert

The Mountain Goats officially launched in 1991 with a cassette on the beloved cult label Shrimper Records, but the band's origins run tandem to those of founder John Darnielle. His California childhood with an abusive stepdad, his youthful passion for pro wrestling, his post–high school days with a rough crowd in Oregon, his years at Pitzer inventing characters while working toward an English degree — all of it would eventually end up informing the powerful themes and complex narratives of future Mountain Goats albums. While the project's earliest releases were famously recorded on a cassette boombox (culminating in 2002's classic All Hail West Texas), Darnielle increasingly embraced the studio over time, giving records like The Life of the World to Come (2009) and Transcendental Youth (2012) a dynamic sound to match the subject matter. And while some early releases featured Darnielle alone, the band too solidified as the years went by. Still, his writing has remained central, inspiring a somewhat small but incredibly fervent audience that's included fans in high places: In 2017, acclaimed podcaster Joseph Fink started a series devoted to Darnielle's work called I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats, and in 2019, Stephen Colbert joined the band for a rendition of "This Year" on his late-night show.

Reviews

Rating: 4.7 out of 5 based on 134 reviews
  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Fun!

    by Bink on 9/24/22Bijou Theatre - Knoxville

    Enjoyable night listening to an enthusiastic group of musicians. Lots of fans there & we sang along to most of their songs. I go see them every year!

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Great Band

    by JohnL on 9/13/22Bogart's - Cincinnati

    I love the Mountain Goats! They write good unique songs and the singer has lots of personality. They do not take themselves too seriously, yet they are good musicians. This combination is always a plus for any band. It makes the show much more enjoyable. The crowd was very diverse. It makes me happy to see good "Non-commercial" bands have the following they deserve. Lillie Hiatt opened for them. She was great!! I heard less country twang with her live show, which, IMO, is good! It was more Rock-n-Roll. The venue, Bogart's (in Cinci, Ohio), is not a bad place. They have kept the place up nicely. Parking is usually sketchy in Cincinnati and it's not the greatest city but Bogart's has stood the test of time there. I will try to catch the Goats again if they come through next year.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Up close and personal

    by Kat on 9/13/22Bogart's - Cincinnati

    They are incredible performers, really just a stellar show. They played songs from many different albums and transitioned seamlessly from slow and swaying to fast and heart-pumping. They look like they genuinely enjoy performing. The small venue was definitely a plus, standing less than 10 feet away was definitely an unforgettable experience.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Great show

    by Juan on 9/7/22Baltimore Soundstage - Baltimore

    Great show, great set! Can’t wait to see them again!

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Superb!

    by Nick on 9/6/22The Wilbur - Boston

    Excellent show, superb musicians! I will see them agai !

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Overall fun

    by Caitie on 9/6/22The Wilbur - Boston

    Right before the concert they were tweeting about how great Emo Philips is which is true. People got up and started to dance unprovoked. Which is nice compared to bands that command you to rise for them. They played a nice mix of their work. People sang along. It was nice to experience that with all those people.

  • Rating: 4 out of 5

    Show great. Weird theater set up

    by Nick on 9/5/22The Wilbur - Boston

    We had floor seats and were excited to see a great show. The bands were great and the staff were nice. I just do not like how the Wilbur set up the seats. They were incredibly tight packed and more importantly NOT FACING THE STAGE!! It was an truly inexplicably dumb set up

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Great show, interesting venue!

    by Cecil on 8/22/22The Brooklyn Arts Center - Wilmington

    Admittedly, this was my 19th time seeing the Mountain Goats, and they were phenomenal as usual. I’ve seen plenty of bands, and none bring such incredible energy and spirit as tMG do. The songs performed from their new album, “Bleed Out”, were phenomenal— blending the high level of energy from the studio recordings with the intensity of a live show— I cannot wait to hear more of “Bleed Out” live. The venue itself had some issues with sound, there was about a 20 minute delay between the time tMG was set to take the stage and when they actually went on due to technical issues. As well, there was a noise ordinance, so the show had to be cut short, which was a bit of a bummer. It was magnificent getting to see tMG in a church, as that was a bucket-list show setting for me, and once the sound issues were fixed the acoustics were super lush and rich. At one point during “Tidal Wave”, the synth was resonating in the building to the extent that you could feel it in your body, which is *chefs kiss*.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Fun!

    by Kungfulibby on 7/17/22Minglewood Hall - Memphis

    This concert was a Duo. They did absolutely fantastic and we're definitely having fun. They got the audience involved so that we had fun too! Fantastic show with two very talented artist!

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Beautiful!

    by Snow Owl on 5/29/22The Regent Theater - Los Angeles

    Quite recently, I went to the Mountain Goats' Concert at The Regent in Los Angeles. Usually I like to be near the stage; however, this time, I sat up in the balcony as a Covid precaution. No problem! I could hear every word of John Darnielle's gorgeous songs, and every note of the Mountain Goats' music-making. They proved that they are still masters of a genre that is impossible to pigeon-hole, except that it is authentic and moving, and covers every nuance of the human experience. I love that even the darkest songs are utterly beautiful and melodic. I only discovered the existence of the Mountain Goats in February this year, but I am stunned daily as I explore their work, and this was definitely a concert to remember.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    My favorite band of all time!

    by Trashbby on 5/17/22The Depot - Salt Lake City

    Great energy, you can tell the band mates love playing together. I’m extremely biased, as they’re my favorite band of all time, but it’s a show anyone can enjoy, fan or not. I had so much fun, can’t wait to see them again!

  • Rating: 4 out of 5

    Great Sound / Annoying Staff

    by The Seeker on 5/17/22The Depot - Salt Lake City

    The Depot has always been one of my favorite places to see a show. The sound is great and the stage is fairly visible from almost anywhere on the floor. The $100 additional charge for sitting at a table near the bar is more than a little obnoxious but would be almost worth it if the staff at the bar would be somewhat considerate. The constant shouting and laughing staff were completely distracting. I understand that to get the orders from patrons you need to raise your voice to be heard, but they were merely chatting with each other. Considering that I paid $60+ per ticket plus an additional $50 per seat to sit in the reserved section, I would hope the staff would be quiet during the set. Other than that the Goats were great... They played a nice mix of new songs and older songs. John's acoustic set was great.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Fantastic

    by Alpha Incipiens on 5/3/22The Observatory - Santa Ana

    The Mountain Goats never fail to deliver John Darnielle's combination of profound, cathartic and fun; his songs are drawn from an ever-changing catalog of literary insights, and the band is opening new, jazz- and jam-band inflected pathways into the music. The Mountain Goats are a can't-miss concert.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Always a fun show

    by Plgregg on 5/2/22The Regent Theater - Los Angeles

    Mountain Goats may not be for everyone, but it is for me. Putting sometimes dark subjects to an upbeat pop tune is Their specialty and is just plain fun.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Fixed my depression

    by Yesi on 5/1/22The Regent Theater - Los Angeles

    Has there ever been a subpar mountain goats concert? Of course not, and this proved the rule.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Goats!

    by TJ Quinn on 5/1/22The Regent Theater - Los Angeles

    High energy show in an intimate setting. Great sound and wonderful crowd. John Darnielle’s lyrics are highly relatable. Regent Theatre is a beautiful space.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Fantastic

    by Dinu Lipatti on 5/1/22The Regent Theater - Los Angeles

    A much needed Mountain Goats fix after the pandemic. They dove deep into the catalog, as always...only complaint was no Golden Boy ;-)

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Perfection in a Concert

    by M on 10/25/21The Fillmore Silver Spring - Silver Spring

    The space was the perfect size for everyone to be comfortable and not too smushed. Being so close to the stage made for a really intimate and heartfelt experience. Everyone I met from the Filmore were so chill and nice. The extra covid safety protocol went so smoothly that it didn’t slow entering the venue at all. It was amazing and super comfortable place. I would say best concert I’ve ever been too tbh

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Always the best.

    by Rochefacekilla on 10/22/21The Fillmore Philadelphia - Philadelphia

    Amazing as usual. Venue was very cool too. The saxaphone really has taken every old song to the next level.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Awesome show, awesome crowd!

    by Katie Bird on 10/21/21The Fillmore Silver Spring - Silver Spring

    Loved the small size of the venue, it made the concert feel personal even with a crowd of a couple hundred people. The venue checked vaccination/ covid test status before entry and I didn't see anyone disobeying the mask mandate which was nice! The room was super ventilated, to the point where I was freezing the whole time from the strong drafts (haha) but I think it was worth it anyway for added air safety. The Mountain Goats were, of course, flawless and WELL worth the 4 hours of driving to see. Trudy at the merch counter was a gem, thanks for the great t-shirt!