(Guest vocalist Becky Stark tries unsuccessfully yet again to start up a cover of "YMCA". © 2009 Kris Krüg.)
Few bands today possess the ambition to create a full concept album. Even fewer bands do it with the same level of panache and class The Decemberists manage to pull off. Recruiting Lavender Diamond's Becky Stark and My Brightest Diamond's Shara Worden to contribute guest vocals on their most epic tale of love, transfiguration, revenge and infanticide to date, The Hazards of Love is an hour-long rock opera for the hipster generation.
You know the type. Those little bastards in skinny jeans who wear toques to the beach and in all likelihood think Pink Floyd is a DJ. Hundreds of them rushed the stage as soon as the lights dimmed, drawing dirty looks from more reserved fans who'd waited three hours in line expecting a sit-down show. Jenny Conlee emerged out of the darkness and started to play, and the ghostly ambience of "Prelude" whispered out across the auditorium as the rest of the band took their places. Colin Meloy appeared sipping a glass of red wine. I wouldn't have expected anything less pretentious.
From the moment Meloy started singing, it was clear what we were watching was no simple concert. Eyes fixed dead ahead like a drugged toad, Meloy assumed all the characteristics of a lost soul damaged beyond repair. In the background, Becky in her role as Margaret danced and swayed, miming the actions of her character in the song. No, this wasn't a concert; this was theatre. For the next hour, we were treated to a wild bedtime story interspersed with dynamic solos, passionate duets and good ol' fashioned guitar thrashing. Worden drew cheers and mad applause for her soaring vocals in "Repaid" (a million times better live than on record, I assure you) and "The Rake's Song" had damn near the whole room singing along. By the time The Hazards of Love had been played through from beginning to end, the room felt changed. It was as though, in the space of a single hour, the horizons and expectations of what a live concert could be had been broadened interminably.
(© 2009 Kris Krüg.)
And that was just the first half.
When Meloy and the rest of his crew reappeared onstage, he was a different person. No longer in character as either tragic William or the sociopathic Rake, Meloy looked as though he were thoroughly enjoying himself with his bandmates. Guitarist Chris Funk makes a decided effort to clink beer cans with a fan and private jokes are exchanged between Conlee and Meloy. Following fan favourites like "July, July!" and "Billy Liar", Meloy squints into the crowd, up towards the sprawling balcony, and asks what the hell people are doing up there. "It's like you guys are at a Bergman film festival," he quips. "You're at a rock show!" Going on to involve the crowd in group singalongs, Meloy is also compelled to play us "the worst song they ever wrote", a bouncy (and apparently, "douchey") Cm7-G7 tune entitled "Dracula's Daughter". The song really is quite awful, but thanks for sharing.
Conlee also seems to be having more fun. Attacking both a xylophone and a number of toms using the same mallet, she nearly falls off her piano bench on more than one occasion. Somewhere in all this, I notice a tiny Vulpix figurine on her keyboard. (Seems to fit with the whole transformation theme, no?) But before I had time to notice any more trivialities, they were playing "O Valencia!" and I didn't have any choice in the matter of singing along at the top of my bloody lungs. Stark and Worden stepped back in as the Wilson sisters in a grand finale cover of Heart's "Crazy On You" before Meloy led the way in an encore performance too awesome for me to spoil here. All I'll say is try to get as close to the stage as you can for the last song. You may just end up in Norway, 1436.
You know the type. Those little bastards in skinny jeans who wear toques to the beach and in all likelihood think Pink Floyd is a DJ. Hundreds of them rushed the stage as soon as the lights dimmed, drawing dirty looks from more reserved fans who'd waited three hours in line expecting a sit-down show. Jenny Conlee emerged out of the darkness and started to play, and the ghostly ambience of "Prelude" whispered out across the auditorium as the rest of the band took their places. Colin Meloy appeared sipping a glass of red wine. I wouldn't have expected anything less pretentious.
From the moment Meloy started singing, it was clear what we were watching was no simple concert. Eyes fixed dead ahead like a drugged toad, Meloy assumed all the characteristics of a lost soul damaged beyond repair. In the background, Becky in her role as Margaret danced and swayed, miming the actions of her character in the song. No, this wasn't a concert; this was theatre. For the next hour, we were treated to a wild bedtime story interspersed with dynamic solos, passionate duets and good ol' fashioned guitar thrashing. Worden drew cheers and mad applause for her soaring vocals in "Repaid" (a million times better live than on record, I assure you) and "The Rake's Song" had damn near the whole room singing along. By the time The Hazards of Love had been played through from beginning to end, the room felt changed. It was as though, in the space of a single hour, the horizons and expectations of what a live concert could be had been broadened interminably.
(© 2009 Kris Krüg.)
And that was just the first half.
When Meloy and the rest of his crew reappeared onstage, he was a different person. No longer in character as either tragic William or the sociopathic Rake, Meloy looked as though he were thoroughly enjoying himself with his bandmates. Guitarist Chris Funk makes a decided effort to clink beer cans with a fan and private jokes are exchanged between Conlee and Meloy. Following fan favourites like "July, July!" and "Billy Liar", Meloy squints into the crowd, up towards the sprawling balcony, and asks what the hell people are doing up there. "It's like you guys are at a Bergman film festival," he quips. "You're at a rock show!" Going on to involve the crowd in group singalongs, Meloy is also compelled to play us "the worst song they ever wrote", a bouncy (and apparently, "douchey") Cm7-G7 tune entitled "Dracula's Daughter". The song really is quite awful, but thanks for sharing.
Conlee also seems to be having more fun. Attacking both a xylophone and a number of toms using the same mallet, she nearly falls off her piano bench on more than one occasion. Somewhere in all this, I notice a tiny Vulpix figurine on her keyboard. (Seems to fit with the whole transformation theme, no?) But before I had time to notice any more trivialities, they were playing "O Valencia!" and I didn't have any choice in the matter of singing along at the top of my bloody lungs. Stark and Worden stepped back in as the Wilson sisters in a grand finale cover of Heart's "Crazy On You" before Meloy led the way in an encore performance too awesome for me to spoil here. All I'll say is try to get as close to the stage as you can for the last song. You may just end up in Norway, 1436.
* * * * *
("The Abduction of Margaret", "The Queen's Rebuke" and "The Crossing". © 2009 Kris Krüg.)
Well, we have our good friend Kris Krüg to thank for that. Not only did he shoot amazing photos for us, he's also got some fantastic video footage! Check out his Decemberists Flickr Set and YouTube Channel for more. Also, hit up KrisKrüg.com to find out more about this swell human being.
Also, for those of you who just don't get The Hazards of Love, here it is in layman's terms: The Decemberists' "The Hazards of Love": An Interpretation. (It helps a lot.)
Special thanks to Erin at Timbre Productions.
My, my... What do we have here? Video of the concert?
("The Abduction of Margaret", "The Queen's Rebuke" and "The Crossing". © 2009 Kris Krüg.)
Well, we have our good friend Kris Krüg to thank for that. Not only did he shoot amazing photos for us, he's also got some fantastic video footage! Check out his Decemberists Flickr Set and YouTube Channel for more. Also, hit up KrisKrüg.com to find out more about this swell human being.
Also, for those of you who just don't get The Hazards of Love, here it is in layman's terms: The Decemberists' "The Hazards of Love": An Interpretation. (It helps a lot.)
Special thanks to Erin at Timbre Productions.
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