The Mountain Goats & The Hold Steady in Seattle

The Mountain Goats are an American indie-rock band formed in Claremont, California, in 1991 as songwriter John Darnielle’s project. Their early lo-fi recordings were made largely on cassette with a boombox, while later albums adopted a full-band sound. They are known for albums including All Hail West Texas, Tallahassee and The Sunset Tree, and for songs such as “No Children” and “This Year.” The Mountain Goats began playing live with John Darnielle alone on voice and guitar; bassist Peter Hughes later joined him for extensive duo touring. Drummer Jon Wurster and multi-instrumentalist Matt Douglas subsequently expanded the touring lineup into a full band heard in clubs, theatres and at festivals. During the pandemic, the group performed livestreamed sets at Manifold Recording in Pittsboro, North Carolina, and released those performances as The Jordan Lake Sessions.

The Hold Steady are an American rock band formed in Brooklyn in 2003, led by singer and lyricist Craig Finn. Their guitar-driven songs follow recurring characters through bars, parties and troubled relationships. The albums Separation Sunday, Boys and Girls in America and Stay Positive include staples such as “Stuck Between Stations,” “Chips Ahoy!” and “Sequestered in Memphis.” The 2009 live album A Positive Rage documents their Halloween 2007 concert at Metro in Chicago. In 2016, the band began Massive Nights, a recurring run of multi-show engagements at Brooklyn Bowl in New York. Their club-scale headline shows include dates at First Avenue in Minneapolis and London’s Electric Ballroom.