Opening Act: Lavender Diamond

8:00 PM

I had not actually heard of The Decemberists until six days earlier, but my sister needed to review a rock concert for her History of Rock’n'Roll class, and given that I had the faintest impression that I had heard the band’s name somewhere, maybe Live 105, and the Warfield is aces for me as a venue (all about the seats), so this show was perfect on its face.

The opening act, Lavender Diamond was . . . interesting. Actually my first gut impression was that they were very L.A. The lead singer was a little loopy, with a high pitched speaking voice that made her very childlike. The songs weren’t too bad, but suffered from that classic young band ailment of skills (vocal and intrumental) that are not matched by the quality of the songwriting.

The Decemberists were quite the revelation. There was a certain old-world-esque charm. It was a bit like being a kid at a circus with the sheer variety of instruments that graced the stage - electroacoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, mandolin, maracas, violin, xylophone, accordion, upright bass, cello, Hammond organ, clarinet, tambourine, banjo, and a few others I couldn’t identify. Their songs were catchy but different. The variety in the songs themselves was impressive too - from melancholy to romantic to sinister, hitting resignation, longing, and bouncy optimism along the way.

I listed to their albums after the show and was surprised that I recognized so many songs, especially given that I’d not heard a single song of theirs before the show. Some favorites include O Valencia! (not just because it’s set in San Francisco), Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then) (not just because I love history), and the very long The Island. I’m definitely now a fan, and was glad that I happened into finding them, even if there were over $20 in Ticketmaster fees involved.