Events

[INDIE] A high-concept folkie with a penchant for lo-fi recording, John Darnielle is oft considered a pioneer in the world of what we now call indie folk. From the early 1990s beginnings of the Mountain Goats—most of the material from which was recorded on a cassette boom box—Darnielle has remained the only consistently recurring member (much like Chrissie Hynde is to Pretenders), even when that has meant performing and recording alone (he is the band’s writer, composer, guitarist, pianist, and vocalist). Along the way, talented quirkies like Kaki King, John Vanderslice, and Annie Clark (St. Vincent) have collaborated with him, keeping the Mountain Goats profile high and respectable in indie circles despite often switching labels and shifting the lineup. Now signed to Merge and settled into a trio format, signature tie-and-jacket outfits well intact, Darnielle and company released 2015’s Beat the Champ, a song cycle about the imagined trials and tribulations in the lives of the professional wrestlers that fascinated Darnielle as a kid. It’s just the latest chapter in a prolific series of 15 releases that have used biblical stories (The Life of the World to Come), escapism (Going To…) a troubled and abusive upbringing (The Sunset Tree), coupledom and codependency (Tallahassee) and a struggle with addiction (We Shall All be Healed) as thematic glue. Darnielle’s sense of imagination, unparalleled honesty, and his seemingly never-ending supply of imaginative songs have earned him numerous accolades, including landing in Paste Magazine’s list of 100 Best Living Songwriters. His first novel, Wolf in White Van (2014) was nominated for a National Book Award for Fiction. The Mountain Goats will perform at Asbury Hall in Babeville on Wednesday night, April 6. Come early for a set from fellow Merge labelmate William Tyler beginning at 8pm.