The Decemberists @ 9:30 Club, 10.30.06

Looking back, it was a strange night. We didn't have tickets to this show until we hopped on to the Filter-Mag (to whom I apologize for my tardiness on this post) Tourzine. Then we had an unexpected guest and needed a third ticket, and finally, we only needed two. Dr. Thomas Beckett and I made it to the 9:30 Club just as Colin Meloy and crew got on stage. While the buzz that night (unbeknownst to us) surrounded Beck performing backstage at Black Cat, we couldn't be happier to be standing in the back of the 9:30 Club listening to The Decemberists.

I haven't heard a 12-string played live lately. God, they make such and amazing sound. Meloy would bring it out on various tracks and it sounded so pristine, almost like you could pull the sound out of the air and hold it. He, of course, isn't the only talent in the group, but the 12-string, for me, is the lasting impression. The set touched Picaresque, Her Majesty, The Decemberists, and their most recent release The Crane Wife. Early tracks like "We Both Go Down Together" and "16 Military Wives" set a lively pace that never let up and encouraged the crowd interaction that continued the rest of the show. Somewhere in the middle of "We Both Go Down Together" I felt a hint Michael Stipe's sound. In the voice and in the emotion. I caught that sound and at that moment, I was glad that someone was still making music with that kind of heart to it. It is definitely special.

While some yelled for recent tracks off of The Crane Wife like "O, Valencia" and "Shankill Butchers," my end of the venue was looking for "The Mariner's Revenge Song" and "The Engine Driver." The former two tracks were played, and the latter two, while played at their performance at their 9:30 Club in May, were not. My partner in crime commented how hard it is going to be, as The Decemberists continue to make music, to satisfy the audience. They place no limit on the length or subject matter of their songs and it is completely refreshing. I guess we just need to get to as many shows as we can, and give them every opportunity to play their lengthy and lovely catalog.

To be completely honest I didn't know what to expect. While I love their albums, I was worried that the performance was going to be a let-down of sorts. Tracks like "16 Military Wives" are gorgeous explorations both with their thought-provoking lyrics and their dense sound. I was pleasantly surprised. The set was beautiful. The backdrop, as you can see from the photos, was an expansive tan mural with black sketches in the vein of The Crane Wife. Over the band, similarly themed red, luminous globes hung in the air. Meloy added to the whole scene by providing hilarious interaction with the crowd that at one point mentioned bodily fluids from the frontman of Korn and at another point separated the crowd into two groups and created a competition of sorts. In the back, we couldn't stop laughing. While I longed for "The Bagman's Gambit" just to hear the words "on the steps of the Capitol" in DC (and feel those tempo changes) and the Doctor pulled for the "Mariner's Revenge Song" we left thoroughly impressed and completely satisfied.

If you prefer to travel back in time, check out Drive A Faster Car's review of their show in Atlanta (Tabernacle). If you're living for today, take a look at Mainstream Isn't So Bad (who I hope wasn't waiting for me to post my shite before they posted theirs). They're next up to bat at the world renowned Filter Mag Tourzine. It's not just a webzine. It's a tourzine. Bitches.

Setlist
"The Crane Wife 3"
"The Island"
"We Both Go Down Together"
"The Gymnast, High Above the Ground"
"The Perfect Crime #2"
"Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)"
"Shankill Butchers"
"Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect"
"O, Valencia!"
"The Legionnaire's Lament"
"16 Military Wives"
"The Crane Wife 1 & 2"
"Sons and Daughters"
"Red Right Ankle"
"Culling of the Fold"
"I Was Meant For the Stage"

You can listen to the entire show and check out photos at NPR.org who streamed the show as part of their NPR Live Concert Series.