I am still taken back by how popular the Decemberists are these days. Not that they don’t deserve it, it just reflects the change of trends in music that occurred this decade. I never would have guessed that a hyper-literate group of theatre and drama nerds would have become as popular as they are, but it certainly makes me happy. Even the opening act, Laura Veirs and the Hall of Flames were rather nerdy. I mean, the band name even sounds like a Harry Potter book title that never got written (I mean no disrespect by this, I have been a closet Harry Potter nerd since before this decade started).

The Decemberists show at the House of Blues more than made up for the group’s absence from our fair city. From the beginning of Laura Veirs’s set until the Decemberists struck their last chord, the evening had absolutely no low points, and never did I lose interest in what was happening on the stage.

Laura Veirs, from Portland, Or, played a wonderful set with her band, the Hall of Flames. Decemberists fans will know Veirs from contributing vocals to the Decemberists track “Yankee Bayonet”, but her own works is fantastic as well. The group played quiet folk songs, complete with unusual instrumentation and immaculate group harmonies. The group didn’t have a traditional drummer, instead using random percussion, which gave the songs a very unique feel.

After Veirs and company finished their delightful set, it was time for the moment I had been waiting years for. The Decemberists were finally set to take the stage and perform their top-notch folk/ prog/stoner metal/pop songs for the fans that had begun to feel forsaken by the band.

The group was in town to perform their latest album, The Hazards of Love, in its entirety. For those who don’t enjoy the Hazards of Love as much as their previous albums, I suggest you go to a Decemberists show and see them perform it live. The album was originally written as a play, but principal songwriter Colin Meloy had a change of heart and instead opted to make it a concept album.  While I do enjoy the Hazards of Love, it’s an album that I have to listen to all the way through. It does not translate to putting on shuffle well at all (as most people seem to do these days).

After seeing the group perform this album live, I will from here on defend it. Seeing the album live was almost like watching a play or movie. But as with any play or movie, certain scenes aren’t as entertaining as others, but are still necessary to further the plot. Also, like any play or movie, there are scenes that are far more epic than others. The songs, though they might as well be called scenes, that really had me singing a long the most were “The Rake Song” and “Hazards of Love IV” (the album’s closing track). When the group played the album’s closer, it was the perfect ending to a great stage show, complete with beautiful steel guitar compliments of Chris Funk.

Other great moments throughout the playing of the album came from additional singer Becky Stark and Shara Worden. These two fantastic singers played the roles of the Margaret and the Forest Queen. Stark’s beautiful vocals on tracks such as “Isn’t it a Lovely Night” and Worden’s powerful vocals on tracks such as “The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid” really added extra intensity to an already epic stage performance. Though the highlight of the set was definitely the song “The Rake Song”. The track feature five people playing drums. The percussion heavy track was translated wonderfully from the studio to the stage. The track also features Meloy singing at the top of his lungs about how his character killed all of his children, and who doesn’t love that?

Whether or not you enjoy listening to The Hazards of Love on your iPod, the stage performance should convince you otherwise. Even if after seeing the album played live you were less than entertained, the bands second set of the evening would more than justify the steep ticket prices.

After the group finished playing their first set, the group returned to play older material for fans who have been praying to see them live, or like myself, see them live again. The group started their second set of the evening off with the absolutely wonderful song “The Sporting Life” of what is arguably their best album Picaresque. Other songs featured in the groups second set were “Billy Liar”, “Los Angeles, I’m Yours” off of Her Majesty. From the Crane Wife, “O Valencia!” and “Sankhill Butchers” were played. Though the point in the show were I literally found myself jumping for joy cam when the group play a few really old songs. “Shiny” and “Everything I Try To Do Nothing Seems To Turn Out Right” absolutely made my night. I had long resigned myself to the realization that if I ever got to see the Decemberists again I would never be able to hear them play these songs. Both of these songs feature Chris Funk playing wonderful pedal steel, which I am always a fan of. In addition the a handful of the group’s best work , the Decemberists also played the worst songs Colin Meloy has ever written, “Dracula’s Daughter”. The song really is pretty bad, but it was still fun to hear live.

For the encore Colin Meloy treated the audience to a new song that featured him playing guitar, singing, and playing harmonica. If the new song is any indication of what we can expect from the Decemberists in the future, they will still be a wonderful and relevant band for some time to come. The encore also included my favorite song off the Cran Wife, “Sons and Daughters”. Once Meloy set down his bouzouki and picked up his electric guitar the group went into an excellent rendition of Heart’s “Crazy on You”. The two female singers sang a duet on the song and quite possibly sang it better than the original version. Quite a way to end an evening of musical greatness.

I have no idea how long it will take for the Decemberists to make it back to Houston, but Meloy and Co. made up for the lost time. Meloy even apologized to those in the audience who were at Fat Cat’s the last time the Decemberists were in town.  As far as I could tell from the crowd, not many had been at that show (on a side note, I really don’t think it was that bad. I actually rather enjoyed it). In any case, the Decemberists certainly gave Houston a proper show to make up for their absence.