photo by Mike Harlach.
The Mountain Goats, headed by the always charismatic John Darnielle, took the stage promptly at 6:30 pm. Darnielle’s distinctive nasal voice rang loudly through the park as he crooned the song “For Charles Bronson,” off the band’s new album All Eternals Deck. The lyrics “And whatever they say, on your Page 3 mention / Focus on the parts that make you feel good / Be grateful for the attention / Set your sights on good fortune, concentrate / Pull back the hammer, try to hold the gun straight,” hung in the air, reminding fans what the Mountain Goats perhaps do best—write incredible lyrics.
Darnielle, along with band members Peter Hughes on bass and Jon Wurster on drums, proceeded to swiftly, but passionately, play through some of the band’s fan favorites, including “Love, Love, Love,” “Heretic Pride,” and the beautiful, but despairing “No Children.” It was a welcome surprise that relatively quite songs, like “Broom People,” were invigorated by Darnielle’s excellent stage presence and energy.
Their set only lasted about 40 minutes, however, The Mountain Goats were certainly worth the drive to Lewiston with or without Bright Eyes. Let’s hope they come to Buffalo as a headliner, soon!
After a 30 minute set break, Conor Obert (sporting a Felice Brothers t-shirt) and company took the stage to enthusiastic cheers. The group immediately grabbed their instruments and dove into a the I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning album opener "At the Bottom of Everything". The song had a slower, more slack jawed country vibe that suggest the band was just getting a feel for the night, playing loose and warming up for a performance that would consistently top itself again and again.
The show would shift gears around the fourth song when the band performed the the first new song of the night, "Jejune Stars." The chaotic metal guitar & drum roll between verses was ferociously loud, displaying the bands expansive sound that can change from rootsy Americana to prog synth rock at the drop of a dime.
Around this time Conor put down his guitar and opted instead to take the next few tunes without any instrument. Like a true front man, Conor Oberst has that genuinely strong stage presence that looks authentic, if not inherently easy. Watching him flail about and pace around with his band mates gave the song "Shell Games" a more passionate aura.
A few dabbles into some material from Cassadaga and Lifted balanced the set with songs of old and new, but soon the band returned to their bread and butter of the evening, the bluesy folk rock form set at the start of the show. "Landlock Blues" was exceptionally commanding. The song started slow with just a guitar and some words. Each verse gradually building upon the previous by adding instruments one at a time growing into something bigger and better. The song finally ended with a powerful trumpet solo that hung in the air & echoed throughout the gorge.
If Conor Oberst is the brains behind behind Bright Eyes, then Mike Mogis & Nat Walcott are the backbone. The songs really reach another level with the inclusion of a well placed trumpet solo or some soulful pedal steel guitar. This degree couldn't be attainable with just an acoustic guitar. Conor even admitted later on that night that Mike Mogis was "the Dr. Dre of indie rock."
Even without the encore, the night had already ranked terrifically high in our books. But when the band came back out the close the evening with three final songs, the concert elevated from superb to all out magnificent. The band must have been channeling the Grateful Dead because each of the final three songs was extended far beyond their usual time restrains. These long improvised jams brought the first two songs close to the ten minute range. "Goldmine Gutted" started with bombastic double drumming and a spaced out guitar intro instead of the familiar piano lead. "Road To Joy" included some long desperado guitar solos & grungy trumpet sounds. These re-invited Bright Eyes songs displayed a fresh freak-out element to the concert & and exposed a psychedelic side to the band not usually seen. Conor then casually thanked the fans, jokingly thanked the sponsors, and ended the night with a beautiful rendition of The Peoples Key album closer "One for Me, One for You".
into/mountain goats review by Tara-Jeanne Kosloski
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