The Mountain Goats on Late Show With David Letterman

[kris242]

Probably commented about the same thing before but I still friggen love that Rising Sun guitar!

[webmaster8040]

i love his dancing

[sixstring7mtf]

Love these guys. So good. I like at the end when David says "go out and get several of these," rather than just the usual promotional bit late night shows do for bands.

[legendofwhatever]

@IzzyIsou “I don't believe in ironic appreciation”. John Darnielle

[jazzywithit]

The fact that "confessions of a hipster" is in the suggested video section to the right pisses me off to no end. The mountain goats were a band before hipster was a thing. I hate how generalized labels are.

[kris242]

Letterman always has some of the best indie bands performing. i love it!

[undathebridge]

wow they sound excellent. and that rising sun guitar.. man

[16piller16lol]

This is great. His tone is much lighter then it was four years ago.

[NaotaInko]

@16piller16lol

You haven't heard all of the album, have you?

[snowveil]

@16piller16lol

The song may *sound* lighter, but I'd argue that this song (and large parts of the album) are equally dark. My personal interpretation of this song is that looking back on "good times" are deceiving....you may think the times were good but you're simply distorting your judgement to block out memories that you'd prefer to forget.

"let the fixer work until the silver's washed away, and take the picture from the tray. Look hard at what you see, and then remember you and me"

[tma2290]

A great poem doesn't have one singular meaning but means different things to different people. I think this ones damn great. For me, its about mediation on the past.

[criznittles]

The Mountain Goats "Birth Of Serpents" is featured on Indie/Rock Playlist: May (2011)

theindierockplaylistdotcom

[BKStyles]

Whoever can should put this on the Mountain Goats playlist. Great song and performance

[BirthOfSerpents]

hell i will buy 10 copies of each of their albums

[btbamdep]

I was just reading an interview with Erik Rutan (the dude who produced their record and, btw, badass frontman for death metal titans Hate Eternal) and it was interesting to hear his thoughts on whole experience he had while recording these dudes...considering how undeniably different death metal is from indie rock, haha. It's night and day.

[MaoistBanker]

Philly Boy Roy on the skins.

[Plaguedmarionette]

can someone please tell me what this song is about in detail

thank you

[bobbybellsupreme]

@Plaguedmarionette it kinda says a lot about his feelings towards being on tv doesn't it? eh it could be purely metaphorical.

[Plaguedmarionette]

@bobbybellsupreme theres a good interpretation of it on song meanings

[penguinandpandable]

@Plaguedmarionette Its about coming back to his hometown. He went to a favorite shop of his and heard from the clerk that one his best childhood friends had died. John got pretty dissillusioned, went to back to his hotel room, and wrote this song.

[Plaguedmarionette]

@penguinandpandable thanks alot man

[BirthOfSerpents]

the mountain goats make pure art

[Vestan77]

Nice tune, but does anyone else find his performance a little forced?

[WalkingStory]

@Vestan77 In comparison to other performances here on youtube this may see somewhat more "mechanical", but it still seems genuine to me. You've got to take into account that he hasn't been playing this song for ages like he has his other tunes, so it hasn't had time to evolve and solidify itself in him like some of this other tunes.

[sonorpaiste702]

@Vestan77 Well, it's his second TV performance ever, so he's probably a little nervous and stiff, particularly because it's newer material.

[Slimjim411]

These guys are getting better and better, this song is absolutely genious, the phrasing gives me chills. Keep it up guys, great music here.

[LauraGarciaCervantes]

finally saw these guys 2 nights ago in toronto. love them. john is a beautiful guy

[docshelf]

is that Mike Atherton on guitar?

[BrittleMoon]

@docshelf that's EXACTLY what I thought!

[1976sticks]

ive been listing to these guys 4 atleast 12 years, way back when it was just a solo act, it bitter sweet to see them on letterman, great 4 them but sad my little secret band is all grown up, like watching your kids go offto collage, your sad but hopeful and excited yet your life wil never be the same.god luck MGs the lights went out in alabama

[jnuhiscarabaid]

@1976sticks jesus christ...laying in on kinda thick dontcha think? do you just fall to your knees and scream "WHYYYYYYY" when you drop the soap in the shower as well? my god....

[Yoshimitsu4prez]

@1976sticks Yea geez bands start to suck when they're popular... These guys haven't been good since The Hound Chronicles.

Just kidding. Their old and new stuff is all amazing, shut up.

[1976sticks]

ive been listing to these guys 4 atleast 12 years, way back when it was just a solo act, it bitter sweet to see them on letterman, great 4 them but sad my little secret band is all grown up, like watching your kids go offto collage, your sad but hopeful and excited yet your life wil never be the same.god luck MGs the lights went out in alabama

[blackkerouac26]

very "The Birds" from their Bob Dylanesque forever period. NICE.......... also very "Guided by Voices (R. Pollard during his Bob Dylanesque period). Nice peice off the New LP, get it, its out next week......... F'YAH, those Mountain Goats can art rock.................

[mattavenue]

John lets a little crazy out at 2:18, which is what we all love him for.

[cubbies4e]

Interesting they picked this song, which is the worst song on the new album imo. The album is amazing tthough (his/they're best since Sunset Tree). So worst song on the album is still very good :)

[Ambulanceo]

@cubbies4e

While I don't think it's the worst song on the album from the songs I've heard so far, I agree this album is pretty rockin'.

[polyasyndeton]

@cubbies4e You think so? It's my favourite, hands down! Interesting, how tastes can differ so starkly.

[DaveyFrigginD]

This performance literally fucked me in the face, you are my hero John

[iWeezildude]

@DaveyFrigginD I hope it was consensual...

[delusionaldiminutive]

Thanks Eivind :D Still deciding how I feel about these new songs. They are fun and have heart but still trying to figure it all out.

[Tsahkratis]

No way! I I think I saw their bassist at the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the day before the NFC Championhip game this year, when the Packers played the Bears. That is crazy! I know it sounds weird, but it's true and I never forget a face. I remember him holding a first-down marker during some kind of photo-op-that- you-pay-for-at-the-end-of-the-­day deal, or somthing like that.

: )

Aww, That was so cute at the end of this video. Dave seemed utterly smitten with them...

: )

[bmueller81]

Wow. Had never heard/seen Darnielle or the Mountain Goats before catching them on Letterman this week...just adding to another long line of musicians that I either discovered by watching the show or decided to take a closer look because the orchestration that was put together for the appearance was so incredible. Is this Paul Schaeffer's doing? I think it must be. He annoys the crap out of me, but I think he must be a genius.

[bobbybellsupreme]

darnielle happens to be the undisputed MAN! I remember when i first saw him live and told him "I didn't realize there was only one mountain goat" (cuz it was a solo performance) and he told me about his trio and added "I don't care if it's just me and your grandmother banging on trashcan lids! it's still gonna be The Mountain Goats!" i'm still so starstruck and honored from that moment....

[rdkllkd]

@bobbybellsupreme Either you're telling porky pies or Darnielle is paraphrasing Mark E Smith from the Fall. That quote is attributed to him, and has been for ages.

[bobbybellsupreme]

@rdkllkd well thanks so much for totally disheartening me, but i assure you no "porky pies" have been told here. it doesn't surprise me that he fed me a line that he read somewhere, being the literary genius he is.

[kdrog13]

@bobbybellsupreme someone stole that line (about being backed by grandma) from mark e. smith from The Fall.

[kdrog13]

@kdrog13 whoops... it looks like one person already pointed that out...

[bobbybellsupreme]

@kdrog13 no one cares

[smokedeels]

shades of Mark E. Smith's "If it's me and your granny on bongos, then it's a Fall gig." quote. @bobbybellsupreme

[bobbybellsupreme]

@smokedeels so in other words darnielle said it much cooler, and maybe didn't even have that quote in mind. whatever. long live darnielle the wordsmith.

[ijurcough]

@smokedeels Choad

[smokedeels]

@ijurcough I love you misplaced Europeans in the Americas and your funny words.

What you talkin bout willis... Could I BE anymore of a choad.... delightful

[dontwantachannel675]

@bobbybellsupreme lucky id love to meet him. hust amazing music

[bobbybellsupreme]

@dontwantachannel675 oh yeah it's a memory i'll cherish forever. and between you and me, when we hugged, he smelled a bit like BO....just as i would hope he would smell after an amazing show. oddly enough, daveyfriggind (the guy with the other top comment) was at the same show with me and he had a much longer much more passionate conversation with darnielle that i envy him for. he's really just an amazing human being on top of musician.

[darkstar2181]

chuga chuga chug CHOOO CHOOO!!! Can't stop rock and roll.....

[reteipdevries]

that was f#$%n' impressive. tx for uploading.

[SoupNoZi]

I love watching Peter jam out on stage

[guitarguyjeremy619]

first comment w00t!! long live john darnielle!!!!!!!!!!