The Decemberists (Bimbo's, 22 March 2005)

Despite being a beginner in all things Decemberists, I nonetheless downloaded their album Picaresque about a few months before its initial release date. I did this because I was really impressed with their previous release Her Majesty the Decemberists and what I heard from my friend such as their epic song "The Tain (Parts I-V)". If you haven't done so, you should immediately pick up your copy of Picaresque. It is definitely one of their best releases to date, and one of the better releases this year.

I was excited to see Colin Meloy and his band in action. I wondered how his voice would sound live and how the instrumentation would translate live. Well, they didn't disappoint. With a beautiful sounding 12 string acoustic guitar on hand, Colin played a good majority of the songs from his current release such as "The Infanta," which was the opening song, to "The Sporting Life," "16 by 32," "From My Own True Love Lost at Sea," and "The Engine Driver."

The band was in top form, and the addition of violinist Petra Hayden (formerly of That Dog) added much more to Colin's excellent voice and guitar playing. Colin was really playful with the crowd. He read a note that was tossed to him and reading to the crowd the note which said something about hens loving their coop. Another time is when Colin encouraged the crowd to stomp their feet during "Los Angeles, I'm Yours" (NB: I think that's the song) and telling the crowd to yell as if they were swallowed like a whale in "The Mariner's Revenge Song." The crowd ate it all up and was thoroughly enjoying the show.

During the encore, they played, as their last song, their epic "The Tain (Parts I-V)." I haven't heard this song in a while but the five movements in this song was truly outstanding live. Part I sounded like a cross between Led Zeppelin and Oasis while the other parts gravitated towards Nick Drake type instrumentation. It was truly excellent and was a great way to end the night . . . although I was so tired after the show.

If Colin were to fight Ben Gibbard of Postal Service, I would think Colin would win. Well, Colin and his band of merry sailors were the victors tonight, providing an outstanding show that is well worth seeing.

Beer Rating: 2 Beers