Decemberists Rollcall

[freddyadu]

Sons and Daughters were great, especially since I love their album so much.  
 
 I was disappointed to see that the Decemberists played their worst set list in the 4 times I have seen them play in DC.  It was almost as if they had a clearance sale and played all of the songs that were priced to go..

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

Well we was there.
 
    The best thing about this show was the numerous non-smoking signs around the 9:30 Club.
 
    Ms. N. Bagster, looking rather irate, marched in and stood perhaps 20 feet away from us. Immediately, she jumped on the cell. I can only imagine the conversation. "Can you believe these fuckers, $6 for a Yuengling, and I can't even smoke a goddamn cigarette! Christ, next thing you know they're going to be telling me that 37 is pushing middle age!"
 
    Then we noticed that none other than Ms. C. Sweep was standing right next to us. Looking tres chic in a green Wisconsin something or other t-shirt, Ms. Sweep seemed to find the show very satisfying. I was expecting to hear some witty banter about breaking her kickstand on a 50 mile Saturday bike ride, or perhaps a lecture on the evils of suburbia. But alas, Ms. Sweep treated us to a lengthy discourse about Brad and Jen.
 
    A song or two into the show, I decided I was going to be Denny Terrio and have an imaginary dance contest between Ms. N. Bagster, and Ms. C. Sweep. Neither of them seemed to have that much gas in the tank (Sunday night?), but I'm going to have to award the prize to Ms. N. Bagster, who delivered several of her patented hand twirls.
 
    There was also a guy with a fro who could have passed for ggw's younger brother. My wife dubbed him "Gimmy".
 
    Two words about Sons and Daughters: "bad". Ok, I can only think of one. Wait, I thought of a second: "keyboard".
 
    The Decemberists were solid. Judging by some of her expressions, I thought perhaps Schroeder had Down's Syndrome, but I can't imagine her playing that well if she did. I also couldn't help but think that everyone in the band and everyone in the audience, myself included, probably never got laid in high school. And at times I just wanted to yell, "Cut the prog rock and play a pop song." But they did that too. All in all, they played the same exact set (plus the two encore songs) that they did at Bumbershoot. No horn section for this show, which was a tad disappointing.

[muschi]

decemberists sounds like some russian revolution reference is it?
 
 there, that question justifies my student loan debt.

[jkeisenh]

yes, indeedy.  and i was wearing  a softball jersey from my madison, wi days of yore.  yes, i think most folks know i'm a proud wisconsinite, 6 years removed.  If you knew it was me, though, why didn't you say hi?  I was quite sleepy, just off the chinatown bus from NYC, and didn't even *look* for people I knew.  (You weren't wearing a light blue shirt were you?  A friend was swooning after a light-blue-shirtguy that I never got a glimpse of).
 
 I've always loved the song "mr blue sky."  i think it's funny how few people in the crowd knew it.  (I also think it's funny how few people knew the Tain, or how many people would scream in appreciation of the band playing even the crappiest song off the new album...)
 
 I appreciated hearing "July,July" again- a song they skipped on their last swing through town- and I always love hearing 'The Tain".  I still think their new album is a step backwords.  But hell, the public gets what the public wants.

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

Well, I didn't "know" it was you, having never been introduced. I just had a sneaking suspicion. Didn't notice you until the set has started, and then you slowly moved slightly leftward away from us...probably prompted by our lack of deoderant.
 
    I think my wife was probably the only person swooning after me. I was wearing a brown Nada Surf t-shirt and brown glasses, and my wife, who was directly to my left (and probably closest to you) has shoulder length blonde hair, and at 5'9" was probably too tall an obstacle for y'all to see around..
 
 

Originally posted by chimbly sweep:
  yes, indeedy.  and i was wearing  a softball jersey from my madison, wi days of yore.  yes, i think most folks know i'm a proud wisconsinite, 6 years removed.  If you knew it was me, though, why didn't you say hi?  I was quite sleepy, just off the chinatown bus from NYC, and didn't even *look* for people I knew.  (You weren't wearing a light blue shirt were you?  A friend was swooning after a light-blue-shirtguy that I never got a glimpse of).
 
 

[markie]

The delgados used to cover Mr Blue Sky.

[twelsh737]

Originally posted by muschi:
  decemberists sounds like some russian revolution reference is it?
 
 there, that question justifies my student loan debt.

Yes-
 But it is spelled incorrectly. It was an uprising of some 3,000 members of the Russian army in the 1820's against the rule of Alexander. Happened in St. Petersberg. Foundation of the communist revolution.

[SalParadise]

i went into this show having never heard a single tune of theirs..i picked up a copy of 'picaresque' on the way out (my apologies to the girl standing in front of me having to answer the "which album was that from?" after every 3rd song).
 
 i was a little underwhelmed after the first song/medley?, but things quickly picked up (they really seemed to loosen up right after doing the impromptu vince guaraldi/charlie brown ditty while the singer tuned).
 
 great show, really enjoyed it.
 
 brenn, i owe you a beer.

[Bags]

Originally posted by Xavier Bush, Power Forward:
  Ms. N. Bagster, looking rather irate, marched in and stood perhaps 20 feet away from us. Immediately, she jumped on the cell. I can only imagine the conversation. "Can you believe these fuckers, $6 for a Yuengling, and I can't even smoke a goddamn cigarette! Christ, next thing you know they're going to be telling me that 37 is pushing middle age!"

Hmm, sounds like you must be referring to another middle aged hipster/scenester...I don't smoke on weeknights, so didn't even notice the signs until midway through the show I saw just one on the wall near the Food Food window.  Was quite pleased and am more and more looking forward to a smoke-free D.C. (though I don't think it should be legislated; if it is, I'll dig it on a personal level though).
 
 I enjoyed the show a lot -- it really helps to be closer.  Last time at the club we were quite far back, and the energy just kind of dilutes the farther fromt the stage you get.  Though Xavier's right -- Sunday just brings with it a slower energy build (if it happens at all).
 
 Helps that I've been listening to "Picaresque" so much, so I was glad to hear so many songs from that album (at the expense of some great earlier songs that luckily I've heard live several times).  "16 Military Wives" was my highlight, as I expected (and that's when the hand dancing/twirls got going, especially for the "la di-da di-da di-da di-da di-da" section...).  Set list had changed enough from last winter, so good to go see them again.

[kosmo vinyl]

didn't go went to see Junebug instead... great movie if you don't need car crashes, aliens, and explosiions to be entertained.
 
 not sure why so many people fault concerts for a setlist... unless the band has setup a method of specifically taking request in advance, talking with fans outside in the parking lot which eddie vedder did in canada, or deploying a spinning wheel on stage to randomly choose the next song which elvis costello did for one tour, it should be the band decides what they want to play... those people expecting to hear some b-side or rariet need to get a life and enjoy what the band has on offer.

[Bags]

Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
 deploying a spinning wheel on stage to randomly choose the next song which elvis costello did for one tour, it should be the band decides what they want to play...

Ha, Mr. Manilow did that as well.

[Julian, Alleged Computer F**kface]

Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
  not sure why so many people fault concerts for a setlist... unless the band has setup a method of specifically taking request in advance, talking with fans outside in the parking lot which eddie vedder did in canada, or deploying a spinning wheel on stage to randomly choose the next song which elvis costello did for one tour, it should be the band decides what they want to play... those people expecting to hear some b-side or rariet need to get a life and enjoy what the band has on offer.

Especially with the advent of the internet which allows people to, almost always, see generally what the band is playing on that tour before they go to the concert.
 
 What? A band playing mostly songs off their most recent release? Unheard of!! Inconceivable!!

[kosmo vinyl]

Originally posted by Bags:
   

Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
 deploying a spinning wheel on stage to randomly choose the next song which elvis costello did for one tour, it should be the band decides what they want to play...

Ha, Mr. Manilow did that as well. [/b]

personally i think it's a great idea, kinda wish more bands would get it a whirl    especially those with large catalogs.

[Celeste]

Originally posted by chimbly sweep:
 
 I've always loved the song "mr blue sky."

me too! that was a highlight

[brennser]

lazily written review....
 
 Sons & Daughters, Decemberists: Arrr Gang
 
 Tuesday, October 4, 2005; Page C05
 
 There was a seafaring theme at the sold-out 9:30 club on Sunday. With opening act Sons and Daughters, you had Scott Paterson singing like a pirate (and not as a joke, either), and the Decemberists, who headlined, seemed to feature a nautical reference in every song -- not to mention the cheap whale prop the band brought out during "The Mariner's Revenge Song."
 
 The Scottish punkabilly quartet Sons and Daughters features two singers, but Adele Bethel left all the shiver-me-timbers stuff to guitarist Paterson, who was likely just affecting a gruff voice but ended up sounding like Captain Ahab after a long night of whiskey and whaling. The highlight of the band's lackluster set, which was decidedly unrocking due to a mix that buried the guitars, was when Bethel's keyboard collapsed just before the band could play its "Johnny Cash" single.
    
 The Decemberists had no such malfunctions, and with six people onstage there was little chance that the sound would be underwhelming. Bandleader Colin Meloy has a voice that recalls the Violent Femmes' Gordon Gano -- all reedy and nasal -- but what he lacks as a singer he more than makes up for with his lyrics and layered arrangements. Like his hero Morrissey, another artist who makes the most of a limited vocal range, Meloy writes some of the smartest, most literate songs around.
 
 A large part of the Decemberists' 17-song set was devoted to their strong new album, "Picaresque." That CD's melodically rich and lyrically captivating "16 Military Wives," "The Sporting Life," "Of Angels and Angles" and "On the Bus Mall" were all standouts, but at the conclusion of the main set came the big-finish audience participation number, "The Mariner's Revenge Song." Meloy told the crowd to watch for its cue and "scream like you're being swallowed by a whale." No problem, matey.