8BitKid: Living Bit by Bit

Last night I went to see “The Mountain Goats” play at the Troubadour in LA. “The Mountain Goats” is really the stage moniker for John Darnielle, whose musical catalogue is rich with autobiographical tales. His songs travel through those universally-wandered emotional roads of divorce, heartache, hope, and the secret desire to have aliens kill all of your friends. This is the second time I have been lucky enough to see him live, the first being at last year’s South by Southwest.

The Troubadour is an intimate venue, which complemented Darnielle’s personal style well. His shows foster a feeling of community. At one point he confessed that he was going to play a song he hadn’t rehearsed because he knew it was the right one for the moment. Mid-way through he forgot the next line and turned to the audience for help. A fan quickly fed him the lyrics, and he continued strumming on. This is the kind of trust that he places in the crowd; he creates the feeling that the concert-goers are sharing in his catharsis. I left the show uplifted, overcome with a feeling of togetherness and a general air of happiness that comes with knowing that one has experienced something unique. Perhaps this is cliche, but again, that communal joy is why I go see live music.

For the second encore, Darnielle played this song:
The Mountain Goats - “This Year” (from The Sunset Tree)