Yes, They Are That Band That Does, “O Valencia”; No, They Will Not Play It For You Today
Such a crappy image, but this is was what cameras were like in 2009.
For all of you suckers waiting for the Kings of Leon at the Budweiser Stage, at least wait tactfully. Yelling out the name of that Decemberists song you heard on XRT is not tactful; even less so now that the band is set on playing through their newest album, The Hazards of Love, at every show (save the fan request pre-Lolla show at Metro on August 6). In other words, Colin Meloy will not be taking your request for “July, July”.
Becky Stark from Lavender Diamond (as Margaret the Bride) and Shara Worden from My Brightest Diamond (as the Evil Forest Queen) join Meloy, Jenny Conlee, Chris Funk, John Moen, and Nate Query for this epic (literally) album tour. Stark, the slightly crazed Fiona Apple – to Worden’s counter Karen O badass – appeared on stage wearing a medieval wedding gown, which is a change from her penchant for tunics and floor-length dresses in past shows on the Hazards tour, but still allows for her signature spritely movement and wavering, sort of as if she’s possessed.
Stompers like “A Bower Scene” and “The Rake’s Song” got heads bobbing (and two braces-faced boys in front of me to state that, “this is like listening to Bon Jovi or something...yep, exactly like Bon Jovi”) in the rain, and although Meloy – and, notably, Worden, whose husky voice brings down the stage in her part in “The Queen’s Rebuke/The Crossing” – were somewhat lacking in stage presence and lacked any usual audience banter, the larger venue was only a deterrence by the fact that eighty percent of the people at the Budweiser stage past 5:00 were really just waiting for The Kings of Leon. Why one would wait three hours for a band that looks and sounds like two parts The Strokes, one part The Fray, plus a dash of Ryan Tedder is beyond me, but I guess that if a band with an upright bass, an organ, and a lead singer in suspenders reminds you of Jon Bon Jovi, you are entitled to your opinion and musical tendencies.
I was unable to get a good place for the Decemberists’ set – covering the 5:00 Asher Roth set at the Citi stage resulted in a spot by said Bon Jovi enthusiasts and a woman who asked me the name of the band.
All photos courtesy of Sarah Kantor (twitter: @trisarahtop), who has seen The Decemberists live about fifteen times and claims to have “touched” five members of the band, whatever that means.