On August 10th, the Mountain Goats gave a free outdoor performance in East River Park at sunset, in the shadow of the Williamsburg Bridge. The amphitheater quickly filled with fans as the day’s heat burned off and the night became cooler.

Largely playing tracks off this year’s In League with Dragons, the Mountain Goats also peppered their sets with even more impassioned versions of fan favorites like “This Year” and of course, “No Children,” which had everyone standing and singing along in the dark. 

The most poignant moment was “Going Invisible 2,” the very last song of the encore. Singing near the edge of the stage with only a microphone, frontman John Darnielle lead the crowd in a chorus of “I’m gonna burn it all down today” over and over again, in a moment of communal sound.

Christie McMenamin