The Decemberists sure are The Decemberists. Even six years since their last album and 23 from their debut EP, the quintessential Portland indie folk outfit remains ever identifiable as themselves. The biggest differences might be frontman Colin Meloy going a bit more Ron Swanson in his mustache, and the standard signifiers of time.
That might sound like a bored dragging, but it’s not — there’s certainly something to be said for being comfortable and confident in exactly who you are. Fans wouldn’t want The Decemberists to be anyone but The Decemberists, and if the band’s show at New York’s gorgeous, newly renovated Brooklyn Paramount on Friday, May 3rd can stand as testament, The Decemberists’ 2024 tour has them at their most delightfully Decemberist-y (get tickets here).
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First off, having Ratboys along for the ride is nothing short of a treat. Although falling more on the Midwest than Pacific Northwest end of the indie spectrum, the Chicago quartet’s ambling alt-country touches make them a nice fit for a Decemberists opener. Their 2023 album, The Window (one of last year’s best LPs), has upped their profile considerably; hopefully such a prime tour slot keeps them on their much-deserved rise.
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As for the headliners, it takes some real security in self to open your set with a three-song acoustic run. Meloy first sang new single “All I Want Is You” with only horn player Victor Nash and backing vocalist Lizzy Ellison. The full band arrived at the front of the stage for “Shankill Butchers” and “The Bachelor and the Bride,” forming the sort of intimate tableau usually reserved for a mid-set cool down. As the crowd signaled by cheering the incomparable Jenny Conlee’s first accordion notes, however, this was a perfectly proper way to introduce a Decemerists-ass set.
With the bucolic, painted backdrop and bright lighting (a choice of the band, or another noteworthy feature of this instantly appealing new venue?) behind them, the band seemed particularly light through the 15-song set. With such a rich catalog, it’s hard to say everyone in the audience got to hear their Decemberists song. That, of course, is part of the joy of their music; even if you’re not getting your ideal setlist, you’re going to inevitably hear something that makes you smile.
And so it went for the course of the set. Touching once or twice on most entires in their discography, the band put particular focus on their upcoming As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again. In addition to the opener, there was “Burial Ground,” “Long White Veil,” and “Oh No!” Encore one-off “Joan in the Garden” admittedly sounds a bit more indulgent in its 19+ minute runtime live than it does on record, though hearing The Decemberists rip off the ’70s rock epic that is the song’s closing movement is a hell of a way to end a Decemberists show. (Okay, so maybe the more things change, the more they stay the same.)
From the looks of the setlists from the first few shows on this new tour, the band won’t be varying things up much (unless you go the extra mile for the two-song VIP pre-show set). So, like they are in so many (positive) ways, what you see is what you get here. And that’s frankly just wonderful. I hope everyone has as much fun singing the “La de da de da” refrain of “16 Military Wives” as the Brooklyn crowd did — and that Meloy details the law of propagation of sound for the balcony to explain why they sound so terrible. I hope every crowd applauds Conlee when she squeezes that squeezebox for the first time. I hope Chris Funk’s impassive facial expression never changes.
Because that’s what makes a great Decemberists show, and it looks like that’s exactly what you’ll be getting on their current tour.
Photo Gallery: The Decemberists and Ratboys at Brooklyn Paramount — May 3rd, 2024 (click to expand and scroll through):
