The Mountain Goats have always been a bit of an unconventional band, considering frontman John Darnielle’s intense prose and love of heavy metal. But the group’s latest record, Beat The Champ, could just be its most left-field project yet. A collection of songs about professional wrestling, Beat The Champ is out April 7 on Merge, though first single “The Legend Of Chavo Guerrero” is streaming below. In a press release, Darnielle said he “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.” He might have also thought it would be super cool to hit people with chairs, but that’s just speculation.
The Mountain Goats are on tour this spring, and dates are below.
The Mountain Goats tour 2015
April 2—Mercy Lounge—Nashville, Tennessee
April 3—Grey Eagle—Asheville, North Carolina
April 4—The Jinx—Savannah, Georgia
April 7—Cat’s Cradle—Carrboro, North Carolina
April 8—9:30 Club—Washington, DC
April 9—Webster Hall—New York, New York
April 11-12—City Winery—New York, New York
April 13—Union Transfer—Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
April 14—House Of Blues—Boston, Massachusetts
April 16—Bogart’s—Cincinnati, Ohio
April 17—Majestic Theatre—Detroit, Michigan
April 18—Vic Theatre—Chicago, Illinois
April 19—Cedar Cultural Center—Minneapolis, Minnesota
April 21—Headliners—Louisville, Kentucky
April 22—Wexner Center—Columbus, Ohio
April 23—Mr. Smalls Theatre—Millvale, Pennsylvania
May 8-10—Shaky Knees Music Festival—Atlanta, Georgia
May 26—Gothic Theatre—Denver, Colorado
May 27—Urban Lounge—Salt Lake City, Utah
May 29—The Showbox—Seattle, Washington
May 30—Wonder Ballroom—Portland, Oregon
June 1—The Fillmore—San Francisco, California
June 3—Mayan Theater—Los Angeles, California