REVIEW / PHOTOS: Mountain Goats and NURSES @ Tipitina’s – 1/21/12

The Mountain Goats @ Tipitina's Uptown - 1/21/2012 || Photo © Steven Hatley

Thanks to Steven Hatley for contributing his first review to the site

Saturday night brought together two very different acts to Tipitinas Uptown, featuring a bill of Nurses and The Mountain Goats. It was clear by the midpoint of the Nurses set who the sizable crowd really came to see.

NURSES @ Tipitina's Uptown - 1/21/2012 || Photo © Steven Hatley

Nurses put on a solid show, touring on last year’s Dracula, of which their opening set was mostly composed of. However, in all honesty they really just came off as a poor man’s Vampire Weekend, minus the Afro or Carribean influences. The biggest downfall of the set and the band themselves is the fact that every song sounds the same, despite the addition of a keyboard.

The idea behind The Mountain Goat’s latest tour is to road test some new material for the tentatively titled forthcoming LP Transcendental Youth before laying it down in final version, so the songs can grow and have live of themselves before the production process mars them. The band consists of its brainchild, John Darnielle on Vocals, guitar, and keyboard, Peter Hughes on Bass and backing vocals, and Jon Wurster on Drums. John stated via twitter, “Excited to be in New Orleans at the legendary Tipitinas. People whose boots I’m not worthy to kiss have played this stage” and shared the sentiment on stage. The singer/song writer lamented on stories behind songs and trying to remember lyrics, happy crowd banter to say the least. He was having fun on the stage and the crowd returned the favor with enthusiasm and energy. The thing about having over a dozen albums is in all likelihood, you never hear your favorite song, which I didn’t, but it really didn’t matter, because, John’s energy is so infectious that every song he plays, has the potential to resonate on a level with your favorites. You did the stage proud John. My personal highlight came when they played “Permanent Efficacy of Grace”, along with the funny irony that they go straight into “In Memory of Satan” right after the gospel music intro.

-Steve Hatley

SETLIST
In Memory of Satan
See America Right
Song for Lonely Giants
For Charles Bronson
Counterfeit Florida Plates (First time played live)
Game Shows Touch Our Lives

[John Solo:]
Matthew 25:21
Billy the Kid’s Dream of the Magic Shoes
You Were Cool

[Full Band Returns:]
Ezekiel 7 and the Permanent Efficacy of Grace
Transcendental Youth
The Diaz Brothers
International Small Arms Traffic Blues
Southwood Plantation Road
Pigs That Ran Straightaway Into the Water, Triumph Of
Quito
No Children

Encore:
1 Samuel 15:23
This Year