Something is wrong with my Internet so that I cannot access any of my websites from my dorm room (and it’s been like that for…many days). THANKS, TIME WARNER. So it’s past midnight and I’m still in school using their computer. Then I will get to walk home and do laundry into the wee hours of the morning.

Uh. Yeah. Laundry. Oh, I’m supposed to talk about music.

The Decemberists

All the photos are kind of …CRAP! But that’s okay (much better/amusing photos by brooklynvegan). The Decemberists are great live, although I don’t think I would have taken the opportunity to see them outside of school where it would probably cost more than $6. They started with The Infanta and played lots of songs I didn’t know (which is anything not on Picaresque). So what I did recognize were “We Both Go Down Together”, “Sixteen Military Wives”, “Engine Driver” (one of my favorites from the album) and “Mariner’s Revenge”, which they played as an encore. I wasn’t really into the song before but they went kind of INSANE playing it live, which made it sound better and…funner (great way to end the show). We were informed beforehand that we’d have to scream at the point that the whale eats us (the screaming is weak in the album version–I never noticed it!), an act performed by the electric guitar player (sorry, I don’t know the band members’ names). The guitarist was a funny guy. Actually, the whole band seemed really fun and happy during their performance, more so than most bands I’ve seen. Or perhaps all of them. During the last song, the drummer kind of crawled on the floor and undid the bassist’s shoelaces to tie them together. Bwaaa. He didn’t succeed but it was an interested attempt. Everyone in the band performed very well because they’re all crazy talented or something, I don’t know.

The crowd was good. Large. Enthused. Lots of big fans, it seemed. My friend (that I met at the Doves concert and is in my writing class) and I started waiting at 7:30, which seemed to be the golden time when EVERYONE started waiting (there were two other girls who got there around the same time). My friend and I didn’t think the Decemberists were on Kill Rock Stars but they are. I dunno why I’m mentioning that. I never thought about what label they were on. I just bought Picaresque (from amazon) so I shall have CD…uh..yes. I hope the liner notes are cool or something, haha.

There were two openers. I wasn’t very into the first (all girl rock type band..thing..not really something I’d listen to) but the second was a girl playing a ukelele. SHE WAS AWESOME. Because she was insanely cute and funny. I wasn’t into her songs but her personality won me over. Her parents were in the audience and she pointed them out. I wish I remembered her name…oh well.

The Village Voice recently profiled the Decemberists. I’m afraid I forgot to mention the heartthrob-ness of Colin Meloy…hm. Um. I can’t say I swoon over anyone largely because of massive cuteness (no, really…) but I can see why Colin would get the ladeeez. I wouldn’t pick him as my swoon-ee but then again, I really like penguins. And that has nothing to do with that, but I just wanted to put that out there.