The Decemberists, in November?

So you may have thought that after the Obama victory I set out on a whirlwind celebratory trip around the world. Or you might have thought I was kidnapped by Don Henley. Perhaps you thought I just went to Boston. If you guessed the later, you are correct. Just got back, I'll fill you in on the trip through the next series of posts.

The day I got into Boston I had the pleasure of seeing The Decemberists in concert (orchestra seats!!). And (tuna fruit goddamn) was it awesome. It was a really high energy show and Colin Meloy has a fantastically dynamic stage presence. I think part of it was that Meloy was basking in the Obama victory, he's been an open supporter of Obama and played a rally in Portland for him previously. The only word to describe him at the show is jubilant. He even brought out a cardboard cutout of the president elect which was thrust into the audience and crowd surfed for most of the show. There was of course the "Yes we did" cheers and Meloy even mentioned that for him many of the songs he has written and frequently performs have taken on a more hopeful meaning since the election. Sixteen Military Wives and Sons and Daughters were the more overt examples of what he meant. They actually performed Sons and Daughters as their encore and Meloy asked people to join him on stage for the chorus. The show closed with Meloy leading a few dozen people in an increasingly hushed chorus of "Hear all the bombs fade away". Like I said before, awesome.

They even played some of my favorites, O Valencia (I think that's everyones favorite) and The Engine Driver. The only downside was that I basically had this chorus playing in my head on a loop the entire trip: And I am a writer, writer of fictions, I am the heart that you call home. And I've written pages upon pages,trying to rid you from my bones.