Very few musicians can claim they met their bandmate at a convention for fans of Mexican wrestling.

John Darnielle had been the solo performer of The Mountain Goats until that fateful day he met bassist and backup vocalist Peter Hughes.

“We’ve talked about performing in Mexican wrestling acts, but we have never gotten around to it,” Darnielle says.

Although Darnielle grew up in Southern California, he has ties to the Midwest — Ames in particular. After moving to Ames in 1999, he began a working relationship with Ames record label Bi-Fi.

“Ames was great, and the Bi-Fi people are solid gold players,” Darnielle says. “Miss ’em all like family.”

Even though Darnielle originally started out as a solo project, rather than bill himself, Darnielle chose to play under the name The Mountains Goats.

“I always hate the guy-with-acoustic-guitar acts who bill themselves under their own names; it always seemed really egocentric to me,” he says.

He says he chose the band’s name, The Mountain Goats, from a Screamin’ Jay Hawkins song titled “Big Yellow Coat.”

Since Darnielle began recording, he says he has completed more than 400 recorded tracks and is awaiting the release of a new album. During its career, the band has amassed more than just a large collection of songs — it has become more popular over time and has had the opportunity to travel all over the world playing shows.

“We really loved Sweden a whole lot,” Darnielle says. “And the year before last, I went to Australia, and the plane landed in Taipei and Kuala Lumpur. I didn’t play there, but I was incredibly excited to see things. The best part about being, well, the best part to me, and this seems ‘best’ by a wide margin, is knowing that every once in a while I make a connection with somebody in need.

“Maybe it’s just a stupid song that gave somebody a laugh on a bad day, or maybe it’s a song that comforted somebody in their hour of darkness, but either way, it’s an incredible honor to have been able to serve that role: to be for people what so many other musicians have been for me,” he says.

Although The Mountain Goats have become successful musicians and are reaching fans on a global level, Darnielle says he wasn’t always aware of his true passion.

“The first thing I wanted to be was a conductor; then, when I was 7, I got a typewriter, and I think I more or less realized my ambition of becoming a writer — just in a different way than I’d imagined — which, I must say, is very satisfying,” he says. “The people who say things like ‘always remember your dreams’ may be corny, but you know what else? They’re absolutely right.”

When it comes to enjoying other music, Darnielle has vast and eclectic musical tastes that include artists like Sarah Dougher, John Vanderslice, Gustav Miller, Joni Mitchell, Notorious BIG and Tupac Shakur. Despite diverse listening choices, the band often finds itself labeled indie rock, a label of which Darnielle is unsure.

“I usually just say punk rock, which I know has a very specific sonic meaning for most people, but for me, is more about approach,” he says.

The Mountain Goats are touring around the United States, and Darnielle says he is excited about returning to Iowa.

“For me, [performing in Ames] is really nice,” he says. “I get to see some people I really like and play in one of the coolest rooms in the county.”

Who: The Mountain Goats

Where: M-Shop

When: 9 p.m. Friday

Cost: $9 students, $11 public