The Decemberists - Chicago, IL - 11.11.06
Posted by James Munson on 11.17.2006
On November 11th, the Portland, Oregon band breezed through most of their latest LP along with a fair share of older tunes for a devoted, sold-out audience.
The Riviera Theatre in Chicago (capacity: 2100) is one of the more elegant, easily accessible Chicago clubs. It's the perfect concert venue for already established bands to play intimate gigs for a small number of fans. In most cases, it is also where up-and-coming bands are showcased when their fan bases increase significantly more than other smaller Chicago venues like the Vic Theatre (capacity: 1400) and the legendary Metro / Smart Bar (capacity: 1100) would be able to sustain. On this particular Saturday night in November, it was the first time Portland, Oregon natives The Decemberists played to a capacity all-ages crowd at the Riviera.
Last October, the Decemberists played two sold-out shows at Chicago’s Metro months after their last album Picaresque was released. Since then, they took some time off while singer Colin Meloy released a covers record, they signed to Capitol Records, and eventually released their new full-length album, The Crane Wife. Meloy states on the band’s website, “There was a real strong sense among the band that we were not going to try to make a record that somebody would typically make for a major label.” And their efforts make the new album their finest yet. Not only does the record contain two medleys that clock in at ten plus minutes apiece (“The Crane Wife 1 & 2” and “The Island”), it benefits from superb songwriting and the more refined production, thanks in part to co-producer Chris Walla from Death Cab for Cutie. Immediately upon discovering that the Decemberists planned on releasing a “concept record” on a major label, I was shocked to think that Capitol would bother putting their money on a band whose former home was the label Kill Rock Stars. All the same, this is also the record company who released Kid A and Hail to the Thief.
With the album out just under a month and a half ago, the band had plenty of new material to debut. Opening the show with a 30 minute opening set was Scottish folk-troubadour Alasdair Roberts. I was previously unfamiliar with his music, but his set appeared to lean heavy on songs from his latest full-length No Earthly Man. His soft voice and shy demeanor complemented his minimal accompaniment of acoustic, drums and bass. The audience politely acknowledged his presence, but mostly talked over him. One gentleman behind me told his friend that Roberts would be more suited for a coffee shop, and this comment did not seem unreasonable.
Upon finishing, the set-up crew dropped the banner for the headliners (which resembled a small village portrayed by the same artist who illustrated the booklet to The Crane Wife). The house lights dimmed to reveal six glowing, circular lamps hanging on tree-like fixtures across the stage. Meanwhile, a pre-recorded speech that played over the house speakers suggested that the audience look around and admire the theatre's architecture. It also served as a jovial introduction to the band. When the Decemberists took the stage, their appearance resembled college professors more than rock stars. Saving songs from The Crane Wife for the middle of their set, they performed faithful renditions of older tunes like "We Both Go Down Together" and "The Engine Driver". Meloy paced around the stage cradling his acoustic guitar and looking like a bookish librarian. When he first spoke to the crowd, he thanked them for coming and briefly mentioned the new record. This led to a spot-on interpretation of "The Crane Wife 1 & 2" followed by "The Crane Wife 3". The crowd echoed back every word while Nate Query’s upright bass plucking and drummer John Moon’s backbeats carried the three-movement suite into overdrive. At one point, Meloy traded his acoustic for a bouzouki, a long-necked, oval-shaped guitar typically used in traditional Irish music.
Later came the one-two punch of “Yankee Bayonet” (probably the most splendid duet of the evening) and “O Valencia!”. This segued into the Picaresque staple “16 Military Wives”, which motivated Meloy to divide the audience in half. He pitted both sides against each other by encouraging everyone to make a line all the way to the back. While conducting each side separately, everyone shouted the refrain, “La-di-da-di-da-di-de-di-de-di-da” back at one another with their fists pumping in the air. Later in the set, newer material like the thirteen minute Crane Wife epic, “The Island” and set closer “Sons and Daughters” sounded remarkably lively compared to the album versions. With "Sons and Daughters", Meloy invited everyone backstage to come out and sing along in unison with the audience so that the lyrics "Hear all the bombs, they fade away," filled up the remaining room in the theatre.
During the encore performance of “The Mariner’s Revenge Song”, half of the band members traveled through the crowd playing various percussion instruments. When they reached the center of the floor, Meloy instructed the audience to gather into teams, which he dubbed "Eagles", "Orcs" and "Elves", in order to re-enact the battle scene from end of The Hobbit. Each band member circled the floor and gathered their respective teams. Some kids flapped their wings at others who pretended to throw rocks and ammunition. While the band marched on, it made for quite the spectacle. Afterward, the band gave their thanks and left the stage bathed in light from the glowing, red bulbs. Meloy assured the audience that they would return soon and I personally hope he delivers on that promise.
The 411: After becoming familiar with the Decemberists only through their albums, I was unaware of what to expect from them as a live band. Consequently, it has been a while since I have witnessed a band connect with its audience the way the Decemberists did with the crowd at the Riviera. The praise and recognition they receive from fans and critics is justified not only by the records they make, but by their performances as well.
