Brightest Young Things

all photos: Raisa Patron

No one that had purchased tickets could have known it at the time but Saturday night at The Black Cat will definitely be the last Mountain Goats show for quite sometime and due to the cryptic acknowledgement by lead man John Darnielle of his medical concerns it can’t be ruled out that it may be the last show ever. It was important to be there and it hung in the air. The crowd lined up before 7:30 and rushed to the front of the stage once the doors opened and stood there all evening yet it was a gentle gathering and not overly packed or aggressive as you ventured forward. Upon entering, I felt young and somewhat hip compared to the suburban masses - which is crazy considering what I look like. Listening to the chatter, I took note that many of the assembled had never been to the club before. I would soon find that the front was packed in with kids adorned with x’s on their hands, which I found baffling yet terribly cool that Darnielle’s insanely dark music had connected with such a diverse age range.

Those at the front would be more kind than I as the night wore on.

The Moaners opened with their thudding blues that is competent but terribly uninteresting and being played by two women that look like they are skipping yoga class does little to make it feel authentic. As mentioned, the front didn’t seem to mind but I couldn’t help noticing that the sludgy slide playing seemed slightly out of tune and that the more engaging looking attendees were drifting to the back and not clapping. The band’s only saving grace would be that they were loud enough to keep too many people from talking.

When they add rudimentary screeching harmonica to the fourth song lets just say I am not surprised. They continue with a song about Foxy Brown that actually makes me not want to see the movie, which is something unthinkable when I walked in here tonight! I am starting to doubt the power of my lucky Las Vegas dollar in my front pocket.

The Smiths come on immediately following their set and restore my love of music. Thank you.

Tinkling piano soon morphs into Led Zepplin’s “Dancing Days” as the band bounds on to the stage with John singing along to Plant. Soon the backbeat comes in via Jon Wurster and we are off into “Michael Myers Resplendant.” It proves to be a tentative start as Peter Hughes bass rumble moves down in the mix and John finds his voice. This continues into “Heretic Pride” as they have to re-start the song (“second time this tour” John shyly admits) but they soon engage with it convincingly bringing the first in a long line of sing-a-longs and rock star poses. Hughes even pulls out a few Peter Hook inspired riffs. After the finish Darnielle announces “my indie rock rhythm section ate all the other indie rock rhythm sections for lunch and said that it tasted good!” The way that the drums have become integral to “Quito” which follows, you can’t really argue with him as they soon rock out again. If you are beginning to wonder if I am actually reviewing the band you know from the recordings… well my friend, we are in the same boat.

I am in the tank for The Mountain Goats records and I know the live show is more communal and Darnielle proves again and again tonight that he is funny and engaging and has a great deal to offer in the entertainment category. But when Raisa comes back from taking photos and mentions she “sort of feels like I am at a BareNaked Ladies concert” it is almost enough to make me cry. I want the band to be successful and play to packed houses but I selfishly loath that it comes at the expense of the dark mystery inherent in the material.

It is as if the band senses my complaint as they hold the crowd with a whisper courtesy of “Marduk T-shirt Men’s Room Incident.” Starting “Wild Sage” I settle down, but soon they are back at it with John smiling and inviting the audience to finish the song for him. They are having fun and I begrudge them for it. I am clearly the jerk here. The annoying shouting of requests between songs picks up to darken my mood.

An emo diatribe ends with a shout out to DC's Rites of Spring and “Autoclave” causes the first of John’s jittery odd little dancing that draws a surge of applause from the crowd. I take note that I am the only bothered by the odd juxtaposition of the lyrical content and the presentation. “Have to Explode” comes to the rescue with John alone on electric. It is calm, touching and a little scary. Perfect.

He then attempts to make his way through a cover (in Spanish) of Ana Gabriel’s “Quien Como Tu” but he fucks up four lines in and we are back to a campfire setting personifying the whole thing. It is funny and charming and blowing all of the mystery and dark joy of his songwriting away. The more he fucks it up the more the crowd eats it up. “Elijah” is a nice treat and he frames “Blueberry Frost” by telling of playing the club when the song was first out (and making fun of the request shouters by playing something so deep in the archives.) He remarks that only 50 people were huddled up front but he was so thrilled to play such a big room with a great sound system. Well… he’s filled it now. John finally acknowledges his health issues and states this may be the last show for some time and how he feels for the crack band at his side. I am feeling guilty about having to write this review.

They perfectly follow with a powerful “In The Craters of The Moon” as the trio format really clicks. The bridge is an unexpected nervy highlight. They are a rock band and I am okay with it.

The 20th call out for “Dennis Brown” is finally met with a “fuck off” from the crowd. After all that, John then plays the song anyway and it is touching and sad and beautiful and after his cryptic health comments it seems oddly appropriate. “Dilaudid” follows as a dirty make out anthem and then “Love Love Love” brings back the whispered crowd control leading into “Sept 15 1983” and its righteous dubby tribute to Prince Far-I. That I am forgiving of the stylized nature of the playing shows that I have turned the corner. Just in time as they follow a wonderful story about Mr. Rodgers testifying before congress with a touchy feely ending and then the bracingly dark “See America Right.” Peter howls at the appointed time near the end of the song and they are gone - having blown away all the parts of the show that had bothered me up to that point in just a two-minute blast.

Encoring with a noisy, jittery, take on perfection via “Lovecraft in Brooklyn” and a funny commentary on trying hold on to atheism in the face of serious health issues, the continuation into “So Desperate” leaves us all frightened and uneasy. This time the crowd responded with soft backing to his lonely vocals. The triumphant declaration of “This Year” seems more powerful to me than it ever has. “I am going to make it through this year, if it kills me!” hanging heavy in the air.

Whatever is ailing John, I know he will face it with his fighting spirit intact. I silently wish him good luck.

The band return for a second encore with an excellent “Palmcorder Yajna” and “California Song” as they play off and it’s nice but not needed. We’ve already said all we came to say.

I wake up Sunday morning to discover that the Easter Bunny has visited and soon I am spending time with my Grandfather. We have had a difficult relationship since my Grandmother passed but now he is older, and a stroke has left him fragile and I am reminded to be more forgiving to the aspects of those I love that make me nuts. I DO love them after all. We have a good day. As we are leaving he extends his shaky hand but I move right past it and envelop him in a hug. I silently wish all of us good luck.

Previously in Live DC:

• 2/14: LiveDC: Sharon Van Etten/ Shearwater @ Black Cat
• 2/14: LiveDC: Die Antwoord @ 930 Club
• 2/13: LiveDC: George Clinton & The Parliament-Funkadelic @ 930 Club
• 2/13: LiveDC: Veronica Falls/ Brilliant Colors @ Black Cat
• 2/13: LIVE DC: Steve Aoki/ Datsik/ Alvin Risk @ Fillmore
• 2/13: LiveDC: The Darkness @ 930 Club
• 2/9: LiveDC: Theophilus London @ 930 Club
• 2/9: Best Weekend Bets
• 2/8: LiveDC: Kathleen Edwards @ 930 Club
• 2/8: LiveDC: Thurston Moore/ Kurt Vile @ Black Cat