The Mountain Goats

The Mountain Goats were amazing! They were so humble and grateful for the audience. You could tell that they absolutely loved what they were doing and appreciated the fans. They were thankful and fun. Great story telling and humor. They played two encores and I heard all the songs I was hoping to hear. One of the best shows I have experienced.

There is something incredibly charming about The Mountain Goats, especially during their live performance. With their dapper attire, witty banter and an arsenal of well-crafted indie folk songs, The Mountain Goats know exactly what it takes to entertain a crowd. During their show at the Taft, they played a balanced, hour and a half set of both popular and obscure hits, along with slow and up tempo tracks. They seamlessly transitioned between songs by interacting with the fairly small, but very enthusiastic audience, who all seemed to agree that launching into Pure Gold followed by Dance Music was the right way to start a show. Midway through the set, we were given a little transcendental jam session that was just all around inspiring. The crowd begged for No Children and I was pretty satisfied that they opted to play it, along with the somber Love, Love, Love. Alpha Rats Nest made my heart happy, but it was Commandante that gave me the greatest thrill of the night if for nothing else but the Cincinnati reference in it. It was cool to witness the number of fans singing along, a fact praised by lead singer/guitarist John Darnielle at one point. The sound quality was stellar and the intimate venue size really supported the acoustic/bass duo well, given their genre. What I love most about TMG is the storytelling in their lyrics. They're not just folk musicians, or indie musicians, they (JD, primarily) are storytellers at heart and JD's vocals convey such conviction, such upbeat sincerity and such a hypnotizing magnetism that you can't help but be drawn in when they play. Ah, what a great show!

I am totally blown away by Owen Pallett (Final Fantasy). He is a unique voice in the music world. Owen's not the first to use looping but it's the way he uses the effects to create beautiful, fun and challenging music.

A spectacular show. Great to see the addition of a second guitarist to the line up and John Darnielle at a Yamaha keyboard. It was a brilliant set and they closed with a rocking version of No Children.

moving. energetic. a different experience than the album. john's got a lot of charisma. it was interesting seeing them with an electric guitar player and the dude from final fantasy guested on violin for a couple songs. yeah, fantastic.

Final Fantasy was a surprisingly awesome opening act. I had no idea going into the show that there even would be an opener and was dazzled by the sheer talent displayed in each symphony that the two, and often times one, performers created. Mountain Goats are a good time. I was surprised how much I recognized being a fairly new fan. Fun!

John Darnielle is a master at his craft! I've never been disappointed by a TMG show. The crowd is always nice people and the venue was clean and set up very nice!

...I wasn't really that jazzed either. Let me say that I have been a huge fan of the mountain goats on and off for years and had seen him/them several times in the mid to late nineties. One particular show of memory was a split bill with Jonathon Davis of folk implosion where they both performed solo sets and then did a set of Smiths covers together. It was probably one of the top ten concerts I have ever been to. When the sunset trree came out I loved it and rediscovered the band listening to many of the early albums that I had not picked up in a long time over and over but giving by far the most spins to the sunset tree which is one of my favorite albums ever. Unfortunately every time he came to play I was on vacation or the shows were extremely sold out. As a result, I was very much looking forward to this concert as I had been waiting to see him for 5+ years. Only problem is that I was probably seeing him on the wrong tour. I haven't really listened to Life of the World to Come and the entire set list which I also thought was a little short had a great number of these new songs. It seemed like the crowd was most engaged in his older stuff so I am not sure why he didn't play more of that OR just play a longer show if he was really enjoying playing the new songs. I also think his band is good but everyone seemed to like the short solo set he did in the middle of the show more than anything else. I was also extremely disspointed to find out as I was writing this review that at other shows on the tour, specifically Philadelphia where they performed the night before, they have been closing with a second encore of The Best Ever Death Metal Band Out of Denton which is probably one of my favorites. Not because I am a big fan of satan but because I love the lyric: when you punish a person for dreaming his dream, don't expect him to thank or forgive you.

the goats played an awesome show last night. a healthy mix of songs from the new album, old favorites, and more obscure older tunes was nice. JD also did an awesome rendition of going to bristol with opener Owen Pallett on violin. It was definitely a really fun adaptation of a great song and worth the price of admission by itself.

Great, wish they would have played longer. 45 minutes was not enough time!

Already a fan of the Goats but I didnt know what to expect from the opening acts.Larkin Grimm is an amazing female singer-songwriter.Her music is quite lovely, haunting, and a wee bit scary.Final Fantasy (Owen Pallet) is a frighteningly accomplished musician.He does things with a violin I never imagined possible and his voice reminds me of those new wave singers of old that I adored going through high school.The Mountain Goats set was great, but a tad depressing.John really got into the upbeat numbers and sang his heart out.

I absolutely loved the show. Although I wished they played more of their older music, The Mountain Goats put on a great show that is worth seeing.

Their strongest material was the stuff off the new album, and it was amazing live. They play the songs differently in person, changing quiet torch songs into rocking anthems and vice-versa. If you like the new stuff, it's worth catching John D. play the songs backed by a full band. Incredible suff.

The Mountain Goats & Final Fantasy were both incredible. I have seen the Mountain Goats before on the East Coast, with just John and Peter on acoustic guitar/bass, and in a room of only about 150 people. This was WAY bigger than that. I didn't have any expectations of John and the boys being able to ROCK the songs the way they did. Some songs were totally different than they were on their LP release, and a lot louder! It was amazing and I am still in awe of how great the show was. P.S. Final Fantasy (Owen P.) kicks ass. SO Original!

Final Fantasy was amazing. Crowd wasn't ready for him, I think - got a lukewarm reception. Mountain Goats was fun as always, but too simple/conventional/earthy to follow up after Final Fantasy.

The Mountain Goats show last night at the Music Box at the Fonda was great. John Darnielle and company were in fine form. He always seems to be having such a good time, and he seems like such a Nice Guy. I love how it always looks like he is smiling and having a great time when he is singing. Smiles are contagious. The show was heavy with songs from the new CD, and they sounded great. I really liked when he played his older stuff too, because I am more familiar with it - but it all worked! I loved the fact that all the guys in the band were wearing jackets (and ties) - it was just a little touch of class. Funny, but true. The Fonda did not open up the balcony, where there are actually seats, so that was not great, and I think the building in on a raised subfloor, because the bass lines were practically a full body massage. A little too much, but this was particularly true of the opening act, Final Fantasy. Owen Pallet is so talented! I don't think he needs to drown out the high notes with such a heavy base line.

I love The Mountain Goats' music, but NOT when the sound is fuzzy/over-amplified. I'm not a sound engineer, so don't know the cause. Bad microphones? Bad speakers? The Mountain Goats playing, primarily, "acoustic" music like they're a heavy metal band? The concert was very disappointing.

This was the most amazing thing I have ever seen! It was short, but it was still worth it. I would have liked to hear So Desperate, Up The Wolves, Woke Up New, and Half Dead, but over all it was pretty good.

Intelligent music... Such a breath of fresh air. A good mix of various forms of music plus witty jokes, intelligent lyrics, and amazing acoustics. Two encores and people wanted more.

One of the best concerts of all time. Who has a recording?

Unbelievable show at the Carolina Theater! Absolutely incredible

I really enjoyed The Mountain Goats. He was high energy, the set was great, the band was great. Also I love the Carolina Theater.

I love seeing The Mountain Goats at the Mayan. They once again put on an amazing show and it was well worth staying out late on a weeknight!

I think what really made it for me were all the guys in corduroy pans with waxed mustaches. There was like, an entire room FULL of them. I NEEDED to know I was cool for listening to the Mountain Goats, and boy, did that do it. The air was filled with the scent of clove cigarettes, craft beer, and even the opener's songs about abortion couldn't bring me down. I loved every minute.

Ok, so let me start by saying that I was not particularly a fan of The Mountain Goats up until the concert. I really loved the music, but the lyrics were just. So sad. Like, really, really dark and sad. And I basically though John Darnielle was probably going to end up being a bunch of spiders in a people suit. Shockingly enough, the band was just darling. There was an almost punk rock energy that went on in there that night, like a lot of roaming the stage and just having a good time. And John's performance was 100% everything I would hope to see in a passionate musician. He really filled the stage with his energy and left me picking my jaw up off the floor as my boyfriend smugly asked if I would finally listen to the band on my own time. (Yes, Dan, I'm listening to them right now you smarmy hecker) I think this band really needs to be seen by anybody who looks for depth in their music. All in all, I'm glad John Darnielle is just a human person and not a mass of spiders in a people suit. Good job, John Darnielle. 10/10, definitely will see again.

I loved the ambiance, small stage, awesome lighting and outdoor beer vendors at this show. But there was a cover band next door with a better audio system. =( So we got no low key songs since it was too loud. But the guys rocked out and had an incredible performance despite the battling acoustics.

Great venue and a phenomenal band. John Darnielle is a true storyteller and artist.

The Mountain Goats were amazing as usual. The Mayan is an awesome venue and I loved the show!

This was my first Mountain Goats show. Live is even better than the records!

John Darnielle really knows how to put on a show and have a setlist that will make you laugh, cry and sing at the top of your lungs.

Having seen The Mountain Goats several times in LA, I have to say this was one of the best shows ever! Great audience, great setlist, great venue! Highly recommended.

The Mountain Goats were awesome as always! John is great on stage.

Seriously, even if you like the Mountain Goats a little, just go. John Darnielle is the best frontman ever and you will have fun, hands down/

mountain goats were great! Bring them back again soon.

I highly recommend the Mountain Goats. This was a great show with great energy.

This show had so much energy, I am so glad the Mountain Goats decided to come down to South Florida.

Great time for a date! Great music, really engaged the audience. Great encore.

The mountain goats were amazing. I'd go back and see them an infinite number of times

Fantastic show. They played a wide range of their songs, took requests and lead singalongs. John Darnielle stayed at the merch table for at least an hour after signing autographs and talking to people.

Mountain Goats played a varied and great set. Interaction with the crowd was awesome.

This was an excellent show. The smaller, more intimate ballroom venue made for a great experience with the amazing artist John Darnielle, aka The Mountain Goats!

BOTH OF THESE BAND WERE FREAKING AMAZING. They talked to the crowd. They made us laugh, they made us so excited to be there. It was just an amazing concert full of great music and great people.

This was one of the best shows I've been to! The band had great energy, John Darnielle talked with the audience a lot, and they played great songs, and 2 encores!!

John Darnielle has once again succeeded in captivating the crowd. Brilliant songs. Both he and Peter are very approachable. John waits after the concert until everyone's had a chance to exchange words with him. Peter is also a gentleman, and an extraordinarily talented musician.

I seriously could not even begin to express how cool this show was. The energy of the crowd was perfect. The music was phenomenal. Even the opening act was fantastic. The Mountain Goats not only put on one of the best live musical performances I've ever seen, but they came back for two encores; and thats just dedication. To further my point John came out to the merchandise booth to sign and take pictures or just talk with anyone that approached him after the show. All in all incredible, beautiful, awesome. Thanks so much for such a cool night!

I was absolutely blown away by this concert. As a relatively new Mountain Goats fan, this performance secured me in their fan arsenal for a very long time. John Darnielle's stage presence, his charisma and interaction with the audience, are almost as good as the music itself. The live performance, riveting and passionate, was the best show I've seen in a long time. The opening act, as well, was the perfect start to the show and a nice new voice to hear. The small, intimate setting of the Williamsburg Hall of Music was just icing on this very inspirational cake. I can't speak of this show highly enough.

Amazing. John Darnielle knows how to put on a show.

The Mountain Goats were great. The crowd was very good natured and you can tell John Darnielle is loved. They knew all of his lyrics. As a newer Mountain Goats fan I felt like a poser, haha. John Darnielle is very entertaining to watch. His banter between songs creates a very intimate setting, which is nice. Thanks for a great show!

Loved it. Played hard and long. Some favs and some new. great show

Listening to Mountain Goats' CDs, it's easy to forget what a happy guy John Darnielle is. However, seeing the The Mountain Goats perform live just put a smile on my face. Not only is John Darnielle the most spazzy, entertaining dancer you've ever seen, but the music feels so alive in concert. The energy was intense: John D even broke 2 guitar stings during songs outros. Down to the details (like Peter Hughes's wonderful bow tie), this was a great show.

Can I give them a six star review? 2 encores, excited crowd, smooth concert. I have nothing bad to say about the Mountain Goats or the showbox at the market.

What more could you ask for than suit clad mountain goats, a barefooted John Darnielle jumping, dancing, bouncing all over the stage, holding the mike out to the audience for big choruses, and songs about vampires and metal and hoping 'we all die', all delivered with a wry grin... Fantastic energy and stage presence, and the crowd was really into it.

Both the Mountain Goats and Megafaun were amazing.

They put on a great show, and the opening band (Megafaun) was incredible!! Fantastic concert, overall.

I feel really bad for saying this, but I was disappointed. I keep trying not to be one of those people that hangs on to the old band...I've been listening to the Mountain Goats for about 10 years and have seen John live about 5 times. It seemed like he was sick of touring. I read the other reviews from this tour, and it looks like the people who caught him in New York loved the show...which makes me wonder if he just didn't bring his A-game because he doesn't think much of Columbus. They actually came across as a little pompous, and I have never, never gotten that feeling at any of their other shows...but I used to live in Seattle, so again, if the city theory holds any water, maybe John was just happier to be at that venue. They played death metal as they walked on stage, and it didn't seem especially tongue-in-cheek. Anyways, I promise I'm not a hater, The Mountain Goats have given me some of my all-time favorite songs and served as the soundtrack to some of my life's greatest moments. On the up side, Megafaun was great, probably the best opening band I've ever seen :0)! They quickly endeared themselves to the crowd and looked like they were having the time of their lives.

As the title says, the band was amazing, and the opening band, Megafaun, was a lot of fun, too. For the venue's part, the sound and lights were very good as well. There were a lot of jerks in the crowd, though, which I've never experienced in many times seeing this band. Usually people are very friendly at their shows. Also, the Variety Playhouse had somewhat arbitrary tape-lines in the standing area, and they were rigidly enforcing where people stood. If you even had a foot outside the line, the guy would come up and tell you you had to move, shining a flashlight on the floor in case you didn't get that there was a line there. At one point, the Megafaun singer was walking around and a fan engaged him in conversation as he passed by; the fan was inside the line and the singer wasn't; the security guy rushed up and told the singer (who had been on stage only minutes before) that he had to either move or leave, because he was outside the line! I work at a rock club myself and I understand the necessity for managing the crowd, but those guys need to calm down a bit. It makes everyone nervous and it's hard to enjoy the show. This is no Altamont here, but it gives off that same sort of weird totalitarian vibe when security guys enforce arbitrary rules like that on a crowd that is nowhere near misbehaving.

This concert was excellent. The Mountain Goats and Megafaun filled the room with their energy. The venue was comfortable and had many great seats to choose from.

OOEEOOAHAHTINGTANGWALAWALABINGBANG The mountain goats rock and so does megafun!

By far the best show I've ever been too. The crowd was wonderful, the energy was good. The bands played amazingly.

Basically too much waiting and too cold! The show started way too late (like two hours after the time on the ticket). Then there was air (from AC when it was freezing outside?)blowing directly at my group of friends and it was unpleasant to be standing inside with coats on. Not the best time.

An outstanding performance by the Mountain Goats - the touring lineup may be their best ever.

This was one of the best shows I've been to in a long time, and the acoustics at Bowery Ballroom were great.

Second time seeing The Mountain Goats, first time with the full band. Definitely more energy than in Darnielle's acoustic show in Orlando while still keeping some intimate moments. Had just the right mix of brand new songs, newish songs, and golden oldies to keep all the factions of the fan base content. Supreme as always!

I always love seeing The Mountain Goats live. The venue was also great for them.

If you saw Coldplay, you NEED to see the 'Goats live! 5/5, 10/10!

I liked this venue quite a lot. They are truly fantastic. They, particularly the lead singer, are extremely enigmatic performers Even if you don't know that many of their songs you will enjoy the show.

Why would you NOT see the Mountain Goats? The Mountain Goats put on the most entertaining show ever, John Darnielle is probably the most charismatic showman alive today, and the Mountain Goats fanbase is the most amazingly dedicated and enthusiastic group ever.

yo J D did good, much better than the last time the goats came to town. HOORAY MOUNTAIN GOATS!

The show was simply well executed and had the entire room riveted.

The band was really tight, despite playing a set of songs they said they'd never played live. The live sound is also set up so that you can hear the lyrics really well, which adds a nice element to the live show. You could also tell that they were having a ton of fun playing, which is always nice to see and adds a lot to a show.

The Mountain Goats were really great, with a perfect mix on never-before-played songs and crowd favorites. They were fun and talkative. I think everyone in the theater had a great night.

This was one of the best concerts I have ever attended. Great show, great crowd, great venue

hello. the mountain goats are amazing. this show was amazing. their shows are always amazing. the end. then i met john darnielle and he hugged my head and that was possibly more amazing. to have this most amazing person hugging me. yes. aaaeghghakjgakghiagh!!!!!!!!! ok, now for real the end. :)

show rocked so much. John was so sexy! Best show ever

best concert i've been too in a very long time. absolutely incredible.

I was absolutely blown away by this show! They were better than I hoped for!

final fantasy is jaw dropping in terms of his musical skill and the mountain goats are one of the most energetic enthusiastic bands I've seen in a while

I would have given this concert 5 stars, but the opening act was pretty lame. I mean I enjoy Final Fantasy's music, but its certainly not something I'd like to see in concert. It especially pales in comparison to the opening act the last time The Mountain Goats played Webster Hall, Kaki King. The Mountain Goats killed it as usual with what seemed like a nice balance of old and new songs, despite really having played most of the new album. I also loved John channeling his inner Bruce Springsteen-circa-1975 giving lengthy explanations of almost every song. Phenomenal!

The venue could have treated the early comers better. The sound was great. Opening act was impressive.

this is not the same as it used to be. i know its cliche to want to hang on to the "old band" but the difference b/ween old goats and new goats is day and night. i would go to goats show to get my dose of intensely depressing, intimate, ragey, passionate j. darnielle. he could sing with just one string on his guitar. now, its a big band, lights, smoke, and poppy happy feeling. its all gone away.