Friday Happenings

Music
Sometimes, we're not sure what Mountain Goats frontman John Darnielle is singing about, but the emotion he delivers is so clear and sharp that you can't help feeling it. He and his band are bringing their slightly more rocking sound to Boston for a two-night gig. Night number one is at the Museum of Fine Arts, 7:30 pm, $18. The show is sold out (ditto tomorrow's show at the Middle East), but the craig has several options.

--Alas, the Missy Higgins show is sold out, but don't forget about her acoustic show this afternoon. Robert Francis, who is earning comparisons to Townes Van Zandt, will open. The Paradise, 8:00 pm.

Books
A meeting of the minds is going down tonight at the Commonwealth Museum in Dorchester. Michael Patrick MacDonald, whom we just interviewed, will be talking about his punk-saves-your-soul memoir Easter Rising with Boston Magazine writer/ex-Dig editor Joe Keohane. 220 Morrissey Blvd., Dorchester, 7:30 pm, free.

Comedy
Richard Lewis' juicy neurosis is so big it might squeeze the audience out of the room. Jed Gottlieb at the Herald discovered that merely asking Lewis how he is can result in an event. Comedy Connection, 8:00 pm and 10:15 pm.

The listed events were chosen by the editors of Bostonist and brought to you by the 2009 Toyota Corolla.