The Mountain Goats and Kaki King set up shop on Oct. 29 at Club Congress, the only Arizona stop on their tour. The two put on a charming show for a packed house.

Kaki King began the night with an hour long set. There is no denying her talent. A master of the guitar, her performance was remarkable. She created melodic layers of sound with a guitar and her voice seamlessly transitioned from style to style.

Unfortunately, King’s wit was less amusing. She made about eight jokes of how the band is from Israel and that “”Jews do it better.”” Although she is undeniably cute, her comments and jokes were failed attempts at humor. Had she played more than she spoke, the show would have been impeccable. That was not the case. Regardless, King’s musical talent is undeniable, even if it comes in the form of an extremely obnoxious death metal-esque song like the one she chose to finish off the set.

The Mountain Goats, known for their live shows, left nothing to be desired. John Darnielle, the base of the band and oftentimes its only member, charmed the crowd with his unique vocals and attention to detail.

From his full suit to his devotion to the music, the energy Darnielle gave off could be felt throughout the entire crowd. The Mountain Goats have been in existence since 1991 and their music often hearkens back to their original, simple sound. A songwriter to be envied, Darnielle’s lyrics create a picture and tell a story. Live, the devotion to the music can be felt, just as it can be heard.

From fictional to autobiographical, each song was sung with such conviction you couldn’t help but feel a part of it. The Mountain Goats’ recent collaboration with Kaki King on the Black Pear Tree EP is what began the tour as a co-headlined adventure. Kaki King joined Darnielle onstage and together they performed the entire EP. Together, the two artists complemented one another and pulled energy from each other, creating a show that would certainly be hard to replicate.