Bloomington is the fifth stop on indie folk rock band Mountain Goats’ tour of its new album, according to a press release. The band will play 8 p.m. Thursday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.
“Beat the Champ,” released in April, is a collection of 12 songs about professional wrestling. John Darnielle, the band’s founder and songwriter, drew inspiration from the sport because it was a method of escaping reality for him when he was a child, he said in the release.
“I wrote these songs to re-immerse myself in the blood and fire of the visions that spoke to me as a child, and to see what more there might be in them now that I’m grown,” Darnielle said in the release.
While Darnielle founded the band in 1991, it only found its final member and became a quartet a little more than a year ago, according to its website.
“‘Never do things too fast’ has always been my motto: write a lot, release a lot, but only change up your game when it feels right,” Darnielle said on the website.
The years leading up to the current tour have built up a loyal fanbase, Darnielle said. Groups on tour with the band mention how great the audience members are.
“You rule the hills like great ancient kings,” Darnielle said. “May we be worthy of your reign.”
Maia Rabenold
