Bostonist had good intentions of writing a full-bodied concert round up to feature the wonder, whimsy and rock of The Decemberists and Franz Ferdinand, both gracing Boston with their presence last week. Quite unfortunately, review of the latter was prevented by a dramatic series of events on Saturday night, including the slam of a guest list against the Orpheum will call window, the insensitive throw of an Ohio drivers' license back through the copper ticket slot, and a loud statement of the obvious, "You're not on the list! Next!" The embarassing defeat of a psuedo-journalist/blogger aside, Bostonist now turns to its readers for concert insight:

The Globe review mentions Sons and Daughters (a band not originally slated to play) and deems them, "more fun to watch than listen to." What is the Bostonist reader's take? How did Sons and Daughters enter the mix?

Said Globe review also fails to mention TV on the Radio. Did they not perform?

Thoughts on the new Franz Ferdinand You Could Have It So Much Better album material? How did they sound live? Did anything top "Take Me Out"?

As for The Decemberists, their brand of melancholy psych-folk (favorite new term, courtesy of the New York Times) was the perfect soundtrack for a dreary, rain-logged Monday evening (October 10). With the Avalon sold out, Bostonist jockeyed shoulder to shoulder with the 18+ set for good position as opener Cass McCombs struggled to capture the audience's attention.

The Decemberists, a few pom-poms shy of Sufjan Steven's pagentry, presented a similar group aesthetic: part gimmic, part inspired. Replace the pep rally with an old world Marine theme and you've got it. Playing a generously long set, it was the material off of Picaresque, released in early 2005, that garnered the greatest response. "We Both Go Down Together", "The Sporting Life" and "16 Military Wives" were Bostonist favorites. Colin Meloy lead the effort with his formidable voice and beautifully written songs, supported by his family of accomplished and well-costumed musicians. Notably, pixie Jenny Conlee nearly stole the show with her exuberant display of piano and accordian playing.

The Decemberists concluded with the best encore of this concert season, performing a unique cover of the Velvet Underground's "I'm Sticking With You", followed by "The Mariner's Revenge Song". A giant whale jaw and a screaming audience capped off the evening in fanciful fashion. Good thing we bought our own ticket for this one.

Photo Courtesy of Andrew Martin
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