Hey, I was just wondering how often you talked to fans after your shows? I just got two tickets to see you in May, at the showbox, and was hoping I’d have the chance to at least say hello to you.

johndarnielle:

I come out to the merch table almost every night now. Sometimes it takes me a minute* to get out there, I gotta ramp down a little after the show. There is not really time to have real conversations. There is usually time for “Hi!” “How you doin’? [signs poster, album, coaster**] “Fine! Do you like warthogs?” “Of course I do, who doesn’t like warthogs? Hail warthogs!” and then you say “hail!” and then it has to move along because there’s a crowd of people. And in truth, I’m not really in any condition to have conversations after a show, especially with a lot of people around me, I am not a crowds-and-parties guy: the above exchange is kind of my ideal post-show conversation and now that I think of it I’m going to print this exact exchange on 3×5″ cards and require all band & crew members to have it with me before & after each show so thanks for the inspiration

shorter answer, yes, I come out to the merch table and sign stuff by me or by the Mountain Goats or Mountain Goats posters or ticket stubs, and I say “hi how’s it going, let’s hear it for the warthog, friend to all sentient beings” as I’m doing it and then we bump fists

*”a minute” for me means “a little while, possibly longer than one might hope”

**there is no coaster, people would say “hilarious, a coaster” and then take a picture of them instead of buying one and I’d come home with a whoooooole lotta coasters