MUSIC
The Mountain Goats ★★★★
Forum Theatre, April 17
Attending a Mountain Goats concert is a little like going to church – there’s an air of ecstatic reverence that only intensifies as the lights go down and the American trio takes the stage. It’s been almost a decade since the band, led by the charismatic John Darnielle, toured Australia, so you can imagine the fervour.
Darnielle’s erudite, personal lyricism is contrasted with often cheerful folksy music – a juxtaposition he acknowledges when he introduces a song: “This is an uptempo number about how life will be after the ultimate collapse.” These literate songs are intriguing poems in miniature, but they’re also a lot of fun.
Live, The Mountain Goats offer an experience that is tailored for each night. Unlike other bands, there’s no predictable set list, even when touring on the back of a new release, as they are – in 2025, the band released its 24th album, Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan.
There are a few songs from that record in the set, but it’s otherwise a grab-bag of fan favourites and deep cuts alike, as well as a brand-new song, premiered in Sydney earlier in the week.
Early issues with the sound mix (including an ear-shatteringly bass-heavy Woke Up New) resolve as the set continues, flitting from mood to mood. Multi-instrumentalist Matt Douglas adds colour and depth with saxophone on the moody Moon Over Goldsboro, and a surprise performance of Michael Myers Resplendent – not included on the written set list – delights the most devoted of fans.
Douglas and drummer Jon Wurster depart the stage mid-set for Darnielle to play a few songs solo. It’s here that the frontman really connects with the crowd, offering stories from across his prolific career and playing impromptu snippets of decades-old songs.
“We live in a world where you don’t get a lot of improvisation in a rock set,” he says, as if to explain the off-the-cuff nature of this segment. It’s lovely to hear Darnielle’s unadorned voice on its own, but equally so when his bandmates join in again halfway through Younger, culminating in a display of technical wizardry by Douglas on an extended saxophone solo.
The only two songs you’re guaranteed to hear at a Mountain Goats concert are This Year and No Children, and both are received to rapturous cheers and word-for-word singalongs.
A treat for longtime fans and newcomers alike, this generous gig is a testament to the band’s staying power.
Reviewed by Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen
Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday.
