photo by Steven Dewall / courtesy of Merge Records
Stephen Colbert loved them so that he personally invited the band to make their national television debut on the Colbert Report. GQ remarked, “[Singer/Songrwriter] John Darnielle’s not just one of the greatest songwriters working today — he’s probably one of the greatest working writers.” Fusing his love of trash metal with indie folk rock, Danielle and company in Merge Records’ Mountain Goats have been quietly building a rabid fanbase over the better part of 18 years, with gems like Come, Come to the Sunset Tree and All Eternals Deck. He croons like Jeff Mangum from Neutral Milk Hotel, drawls like Frank Black, and broods like Morrisey, and if you give him an hour of your time, you’ll smile like you mean it.
photo by Joe Perez
Opener Dustin Wong, is nothing, if not sonically fasincating. Armed with a dizzying array of arc pedals, Wong is capable of constructing cathedrals of epic post rock sound, ten loops at a time, with deftness and finesse. His second LP, Dreams Say, View, Create, Shadow, is currently out on Thrill Jockey.
Catch both The Mountain Goats and Dustin Wong this Saturday, June 23rd, 8pm at the Columbia City Theater, in what is sure to be a banner night for musical afficionados. In the meantime, check out the video for The Mountain Goat’s “Estate Sale Sign” off of their 2011 album, All Eternals Deck as well as an epic 10-min jam from Dustin Wong, courtesy of Fader TV :
