Audio By Carbonatix
The Decemberists, Other Lives
House of Blues
April 29, 2011
Better than: sitting in your bedroom, reading Melville, and wondering what it might be like to love someone as much as you love the sea.
Friday night’s “sold out” show at the House of Blues didn’t really seem sold out.
By the time the night’s opening act, Oklahoma’s Other Lives, took the stage, only a smattering of people, about four to six deep, gathered closely at the front of the room as the rest of the night’s attendees made their way into the venue at a relaxed clip.
Even more surprising: There were far fewer beards in attendance than one would have expected.
By the time the Decemberists took the stage, though, the crowd has swelled to
capacity — and was in high spirits, too, in the moments before the headliners took the
stage. All around, couples and groups of friends chatted up the songs
they hoped would be played. With a large back-catalog of works, and a
new record to promote, it seemed it would be impossible for the band to hit upon
everyone’s wish list of hits.
And yet, once it came time for the show to start, the lights dimmed and an unfamiliar voice
come on the overhead speakers. He introduced itself as the mayor of
Portland, Oregon, Sam Adams. Acting as a disembodied emcee of sorts, he
cajoled the crowd into making introductions with strangers to their
right and left, followed by further displays of parlor game silliness
before finally introducing the band. By the time Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy and his band took the stage, they did so with much approval and not a little hootin’ and hollerin’.
They genuinely seemed happy to be there, and immediately threw themselves headlong
into “The Tain.” After that song’s lengthy meanderings, Meloy disclaimed their
prog-rock status, dubbing themselves a folk band. This announcement was met with
considerable amusement; the audience seemed to hang affectionately on the frontman’s every turn of phrase.
Still, the band seemed to
struggle — or at least chafe a bit — for the first third of the set. Meloy especially seemed to push and pull at the songs as if trying to
squeeze into last year’s Christmas sweater. But, with each song, the
camaraderie thickened between performer and observer, and the tensions
quickly gave way to playful banter and various forms of nerdy band/fan
flirtation.
Bass player Nate Query and keyboardist Jenny Conlee were
particularly adroit at finding and keeping the groove. Conlee seemed to
approach every song with a festive familiarity and excitement. Even
apparent stumbles and missteps quickly became stepping stones to
increased crowd happiness.
Through it all, the Decemberists played to their fans, touching upon many
highlights from their storied albums. There was much giggling, and more
than a few unashamed, rhythmically-challenged hand clappers, swaying
and cheering as The Decemberists performed their sing-along set followed
by two brief encores.
Earlier in the night, opening act Other Lives set the tone for the evening capably. No one member
played any fewer than three different instruments during the band’s 30-minute set. Their set started with a minimum of bravado,
with the band clearly hoping that their music would speak for itself. Their sound can, at
the very least, be described as cinematic, connecting the dots between spaghetti westerns and indie folk. Coupled with
the band’s mannerisms, it made for an engrossing listen. Their ambitious
array of instruments and percussion were used in the full, with several
of the members switching instruments up to three or more times a song.
Very percussive. Some nice harmonies.
It may have only been the brief amount of time they were
allotted that prevented them from becoming an interesting, albeit
somewhat forgettable, footnote to a Decemberists show.
Critic’s Notebook
Personal Bias: Colin Meloy is a devout Morrissey and Smiths enthusiast,
which automatically awards him an extra gold star in my playbook.
By The Way: One of the perks to the evening’s performance was Sara
Watkins, who joins The Decemberists on this tour as a backing vocalist
and violinist.
Random Note: The presence of a bathroom attendant in the men’s room
severely curtailed general hygiene as many of the gents made haste to
the exit without washing up. I shook few hands this night.
Setlist:
The Tain
Down By the Water
Calamity Song
Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)
The Rake’s Song
Won’t Want For Love (Margaret in the Taiga)
The Crane Wife 3
On the Bus Mall
Raincoat Song
June Hymn
Don’t Carry It All
16 Military Wives
This Is Why We Fight
Encore
January Hymn
The Mariner’s Revenge Song
Encore 2
Dear Avery
