The Decemberists @ The Kool Haus, August 3rd

On Monday, I spent my evening at the Kool Haus to see folk theatrical heroes, The Decemberists. I got to the venue about 15 minutes after the doors opened and the place was packed. The first thing I noticed when I found my spot, was how crowded the stage was with instruments. There were 3 drum kits, 5 mics, countless guitars, a couple basses, a stand up bass, an organ, a few keyboards, and other percussion instruments.

The opening band was The Heartless Bastards from Cincinnati, Ohio. They are a folk rock/soul band fronted by female vocalist/guitarist Erika Wennerstrom, who has a very powerful voice. I have heard of them before because they did a tour with one of my favourite bands, The Gaslight Anthem. The crowd seemed to have enjoyed their 40 minute set.

Half an hour after Heartless Bastards finished their set, The Decemberists took the stage. They divided the show into two very intimate one hour long sets separated by a 15 minute intermission. In the first set, they played their new album, The Hazards of Love in its entirety. During that set the entire band played intensely with no small talk whatsoever. The crowd was super into it, as every single head I could see was bopping to the beat. When they finished the last song on the album, singer/guitarist/leader of the band, Colin Meloy thanked the crowd with a big smile, and the band left the stage for a 15 minute break. After the break they got back on stage and played an hour of older songs. the band was much more relaxed and interactive with the crowd than during the first set. The crowd went absolutely nuts when they covered Heart's Crazy On You.

I brought my dad to this show because I had an extra ticket and I knew he would enjoy it even though he had never heard the Decemberists' music before. I was surprised at his reaction. He said it was one of the best shows he had ever been too, and he could not believe what he had missed out on. All in all, this was a show I will never forget, and I'm sure neither will the 2000 other people who attended this incredible event.