Dark in Here - The Mountain Goats
I’m not the world’s biggest fan of The Mountain Goats, but I feel like I’ve found a kindred spirit in John Darnielle. This is mostly due to his love for pro-wrestling (he did an entire album about it in 2015, which you can find here.), but recently, he tweeted about singing a Rich Mullins song, and that just made me happy.
It’s hard to find someone that fits that pro-wrestling/Rich Mullins niche, so I’m gonna take what I can get.
Anyway, The Mountain Goats are prolific, and in this year alone they’ve released two albums, (Dark in Here, and The Jordan Lake Sessions: Volumes 3 and 4). The latter was just released today, so i haven’t had a chance to dig in, but I’ve listened to the former many times, and enjoyed it more with each listen. The highlight for me is Before I Got There, a melancholy track that I can only assume is an examination of the shortcomings of belief, and the aftermath of sacrifice despite those shortcomings. It’s a great album for listening to while crying in the rain.
Eddie Kingston Got No Business F***ing Being Here
It’s been a long time since I’ve been excited to be a pro-wrestling fan. The WWE, the primary American offering to my favorite pre-determined sport, has been lackluster for over a decade, and embarrassing to even mention in front of non-fans.
But All Elite Wrestling, which was founded in 2019, has changed that. With solid matches, compelling storylines, and believable characters, their flagship show, Dynamite, and their secondary show, Rampage, have both become can’t miss television. And their Pay-Per-Views, even though priced at an outrageous $50 a pop, are worth the investment.
This Saturday is Full Gear, their fall PPV (they do four per year), and will hopefully end with a triumphant Adam Page, winning the World Title - the culmination of a storyline that has taken three years to tell. That alone was worth ordering the PPV, but then Eddie Kingston and CM Punk happened.
This segment is everything that I love about pro-wrestling. It felt real.
I know, wrestling is predetermined. It’s not real. But neither are movies, and people always rave about the drama, the performances, and all of that. So take the “wrestling is fake” criticisms elsewhere.
This was incredible. And it sold me on the PPV even more.
Then, a few days later, this article, written by Kingston himself (which is pretty close to who he is as a pro-wrestler) dropped. And good Lord. This guy is incredible. He feels real. And when wrestling feels real, it’s great.
My Book is Finally Available
I’m going to shill my own work a lot in the next few months, but this time, I’m going to use my own column for it. You can buy my book, My Life’s Work: A True Story about Life, Labor, and Love, is now available on Kindle as well as in paperback. I would love for you to go out and buy a few copies.
Have a great weekend everybody.