The Decemberists

Petra Haden & The Sell Outs

Music Box - September 15, 2005

Live Review by Adam McKibbin

In concert (and on record), The Decemberists are a consistent bet, delivering their signature brand of goods without throwing many curveballs.  Fortunately for all involved, that's still a good thing.

For their second show in as many days at the Music Box (a.k.a. the Fonda), Colin Meloy and his band kept their loyal fans eating from their palms with a broad selection of songs from Picaresque and Her Majesty the Decemberists.  In a live setting, the albums revealed themselves to be near equals of one another, with neither collection of songs announcing itself as any more vital or evolved than the other.  Meloy, of course, has a very recognizable lead vocal and there’s no studio trickery involved—he sounds in person as he does on record.  The Decemberists are able to bring vibrant life to their ambitious arrangements; even though the on-stage performances and banter were seldom very entertaining, the music itself was seldom anything but.  The full-on band blitz gave Meloy more room to be effective as a near-solo act toward the middle of the show, stripping down to his guitar and an accompanying banjo.  Regardless of tempo, the real power of Meloy’s songwriting comes not from his bizarre narrative subjects or general literary prowess—all of which makes for fine set dressing (and an almost-visible layer of rock-snobbery amongst some fans)—but from his fractured, sympathetic humanity.  To watch him in action is to watch a singer chasing or channeling a vision that is his own.

The Decemberists have earned their own space as a reference point in modern music—there isn’t another band who really does what they do (or at least does it as well).  To their diehards, then, they are a bit like The Rolling Stones coming to town, which made for a more electrifying and jubilant crowd than typical for a well-traveled indie band (it isn’t as if this would be anyone’s first or last chance to see them play L.A.).  The downside is that they are a band best enjoyed (for most) in smaller doses than a full live set, and this caused a lull in momentum around the 2/3 point of the show.  Meloy & Co. closed brilliantly, though, with an energetic crescendo on the set list featuring an accordion duel and an exuberant spin through the night’s standout track, “The Chimbley Sweep.”  As the encore approached, The Decemberists had the feel of a band full in its prime, near the height of their powers.

Unfortunately but unavoidably, approximately 20% of Decemberists fans are insufferable assholes, which cast a slight pall over the proceedings, especially during an otherwise arresting opening performance by touring Decemberist Petra Haden and her all-female choir called The Sell Outs.  As Haden showcased songs from her marvelous a cappella rendering of The Who’s Who Sell Out, a section of the crowd grumbled cattily (imagine Conan O’Brien doing his stock Lord of the Rings / Star Wars geek impersonation: “But where are the songs about the mariners?”).

Admittedly, Haden’s project would be daunting to the uninitiated.  For her album, she recorded each track of each song herself, using only her voice to simulate and replicate the signature wails and pounds of the classic rock icons (the album was so faithful that it even included the commercial jingles).  To pull it off in concert, she assembled a ten-woman choir, a capable bunch that nonetheless suffered from the fact that they were not, alas, ten Petra Hadens.  Watching her conduct her choir through hymn-like harmonies and crazy percussive noises was a rare pleasure nonetheless, and credit should be given to Mike Watt for having the flash of inspiration to suggest the project in the first place.  Regardless of affinity for The Who, and regardless of whether one enjoyed watching a line of women attempt to vocally play guitar and drums, Haden’s performance was certainly something inspired and unusual.  At a Decemberists show, of all places, one would think that “different” would be less cause for derision.