The Most Droll Evening Ever

Alas, I did not make it early enough to catch Land of Talk, but fortunately my friend and I arrived — water bottle of vodka in tow (it looks like harmless water!) — just in time for those delightful chaps Grizzly Bear. I wasn’t sure quite how these noisy boys and their intricate layers would come across on stage, and on an outdoor one for that matter, but I was pleasantly surprised. Now, there’s been talk of the poor sound quality at this particular show, but I suppose my near-the-front spot helped to alleviate this problem. Most noticeable to me way up there were the distinct vocal parts of all four members of the band.  Man, can that one guy wail! This was made especially clear during the multi-toned howls of the dreamy “Knife,” wherein the blond dude hissed and meowed with an intensity that was undeniably impressive. Grizzly Bear also proved their vocal strength during numbers such as “Lullaby,” although much like the name suggests, the set was a bit of a sleeper overall on this sticky summer eve. The fact that people woke up a bit during the more upbeat “On a Neck, On a Spit” implied that people were ready for more shaking and dancing than these guys provided fodder for.

And then came The Decemberists.  What a popular band indeed, something made clear by the varied persons in attendance. After a bit of fanfare, Colin Meloy and crew leapt out merrily from backstage and our wise leader introduced the band with a grin. These guys are famous for their witty banter and stage energy, but for this performance Colin noted they’d have to cut that out in favor of playing the largest possible number of songs.  You see, them Central Park officials enforce a nerdy curfew. Despite this infringement on fun, however, the band still managed their fair share of worldly wisdom imparted and anecdotal fun. Pleased to be in the fine park that is our centrally located one, Colin reminisced about a show the band had played there with darlings Death Cab for Cutie. At the risk of appearing incredibly nosy, I’ll admit that I happened to catch a glance at this girl in front of me who was texting furiously: “can him and Gibbard be on the same stage without tearing the fabric of the universe?” Music fans are funny.

Songwise, our dapper crew fit in many a rousing number. The set was Crane Wife heavy, with a major highlight being the lengthy rock anthem “The Island: Come & See / The Landlord’s Daughter / You’ll Not Feel the Drowning.”  Colin hit the high notes like an angel, and was seen to be jumping up and down with the fervor of a madman. Curfew or no, The Decemberists each played their songs with a visible, as well as contagious passion that would make even the stiffest businessmen shake his designer suit pants in the ass area. Speaking of pant fashion, during the encore Colin tuned his back to the audience and asked “How does my behind look in seersucker?” Eloquent bastard.

Such enthusiasm made it easy for the band to lead the audience toward various hand waves and many moments of clapping in unison. The peak of crowd control came during “The Chimbley Sweep” when, after have “put the band to sleep” which involved each member playing their instrument slower and slower until they were eventually laying down, Colin got the entire standing audience to crouch down and sit tight for a moment. Many cameras snapped at this rare moment during which one could look up and see the entire stage clearly, and then suddenly the chorus began again with a zing and everyone rushed to resume their dancing! Colin had his way with us again when he got everyone there to chant along to the end of “Sons & Daughters,” which conveniently contains a message of peace and love (“here all the bombs fade away”).  Also, how can I write about this show without mentioning that they played a Hurdy Gurdy? Good show old boys (and girl)!

Setlist:

July, July!
Billy Liar
Summersong
The Perfect Crime #2
The Sporting Life
From My Own True Love (Lost at Sea)
The Engine Driver
The Crane Wife 3
The Island: Come & See / The Landlord’s Daughter / You’ll Not Feel the Drowning
O Valencia!
Sons & Daughters
—
Red Right Ankle
Oceanside
The Chimbly Sweep
The Mariner’s Revenge Song

And for even more fun: Did you know our very own Colin Meloy is the author of one of the fine 33 1/3 books: The Replacements’ Let It Be.