You can only imagine my disappointment when The Decemberists concert I had been eagerly awaiting was cancelled due to the Snowpocolypse. As fate would have it, this would give Pat the opportunity to join me for the rescheduled show! The opener, Justin Townes Earle, was a very talented blues singer and guitarist. He gave a very energy-filled opening set for what would be one of my favorite concerts I have been to.
The Decemberists played almost the entire track list off of "The King is Dead," which, if you haven't checked it out yet, I highly recommend you get your hands on a copy. Pat was really hoping they'd play both the June and January Hymns. I was hoping they'd change up from their previous sets and play Engine Driver, one of my favorites. Luckily, we both got what we were hoping for. In the first encore, they ended with a song I had been waiting to see live, The Mariner's Revenge. I had seen a version of it on YouTube, but that didn't prepare me for this epic song. At one point, all the musicians were waving their instruments to create the illusion of a giant wave, then, with crowd participation, at least a minute of screaming in agony while getting eaten by a whale. They could have easily ended on this note but came out for a second encore and played a few more songs. Moral of the story: The Decemberists are amazing! If you get a chance to see them, definitely go.
-Eric
