Decemberists at Radio City Music Hall (06/10/09)

Photos: Jon Klemm

If it wasn’t for some unforeseen circumstances, I would have been at this show (I actually had great seats and was looking forward to hearing The Hazards of Love live). No cause for alarm though, I’ve still got pictures and an excerpt from a fawning review, so we’re good to go:

After the opener, the Decemberists played two sets. The first earned them an A+ on the musical endurance test, seeing as how they went through the entire Hazards Of Love album with nary a pause or break. Though the first set offered the audience very few personalized touches, the tight tones and sensational melodies made it obvious why the Portland indie rockers have come so far. The set declared that the Decemberists are not an underground sensation any longer and have transitioned gracefully into the mainstream.
…
After a short break, the Decemberists came back on stage to play some of their greatest hits. Though the audience had stayed sitting for the theatrical first set, a dance party ensued once the first few chords of “Billy Liar” were strummed. Meloy divided the theatre into a vocal harmony by crowd section, which thrilled the balcony to no end, and created an audience-driven a cappella version of the song. [CMJRELAY]

More photos after the jump.