The Decemberists could sing the phone book and it would sound good, but it would be more their style to sing the dictionary.
The band, described by Stephen Colbert as "hyper-literate prog-rockers," graced the Center for the Arts Friday, giving the packed auditorium a very intimate performance.
Known for their extensive vocabulary and epic songs, The Decemberists were modest in their linen suits, accommodating their fans in every way appropriate.
From holding singing competitions during "16 Military Wives" to making the audience close their eyes and picture themselves on a dusty road, haggling over the price of a monkey prior to their drum-driven song "The Infanta," the band got the crowd involved and kept audience members laughing.
The majority of the songs played that night came from their latest album "The Crane Wife," the first release on a major label. Apart from the title track, "The Crane Wife #1," ballads like "O Valencia!," "Shankhill Butchers," and "The Perfect Crime #2" all shared powerful themes of murder and violence.
Before performing their new material, The Decemberists started the night with one of their oldest songs, "Oceanside," from their first EP "5 Songs," quickly followed by their current concert favorite, "The Island." The evening catalogue also included other tracks such as "The Train," "Castaways and Cutouts," and "Picaresque."
Of course, it would not be a Decemberists concert without "The Mariner's Song of Revenge." The Decemberists left the stage after "When The War Came," but a standing ovation caused them to return and sing "Eli, The Barrow Boy," and the aforementioned fan favorite as their encore.
The group assembled in a semi-circle at the front of the stage to recount the tragic tale of an orphaned mariner. The eight-minute epic involved every band member. On guitarist Chris Funk's signal, the audience was summoned to scream as if being swallowed by a whale. At that moment, two people in a whale costume, complete with a working jaw, burst onstage and "killed" the band members as they tried to defend themselves. Only vocalist Colin Meloy was left standing. Miraculously, his mates kept playing even after "death."
The delightfully refreshing concert started strong with Brooklyn-based act My Brightest Diamond. Gracing the stage in white pant suits, the three piece band, fronted by Shana Worden, blasted the audience with the powerful "Freak Out," a number that demonstrated guitarist Sebastian Krueger's vertical leap and Worden's extensive vocal range and dancing skills, unhindered by her stiletto heels.
Unlike most opening acts, My Brightest Diamond were embraced by the fans and no one was in any hurry to see them leave. Worden reappeared during the song "Yankee Bayonet," but tried too hard to channel Laura Veirs' wispy voice and was instead drowned out by guitars. Veirs originally sang the duet with Meloy on "The Crane Wife."
Though the stage lights and occasional flash photo blinded the audience, the only interruptions were from the fans' cheering when they recognized the first few notes of a song or when they were laughing at something Meloy said, such as his declaration that Buffalo is the only city in the world that can form a sentence without any other words.
"You're 89 years old, retired in some South Caribbean place," Meloy said. "Just when you're about to snuff it, your last thought will be 'Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo.' Mark my words."
Students who shelled out $20 or bought tickets at the door left with a newfound appreciation for great music and some great stories involving monkeys, whales and the great city of Buffalo.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
