The Decemberists- Miller Lite Oasis, Summerfest 7/7/16

photo by Will Piper

You can't help but improve your vocabulary by listening to the lyrics of the Decemberists' guitarist and singer, Colin Meloy.  What other songsmith pens tunes with words like "balustrade," "panoply," and "palanquin?"  (For definitions of these words, check out Study Up on Decemberists Lyrics). Given the sophisticated vernacular of the Decemberists' songwriting and intricate nature of their multi-instrumental arrangements, Summerfest, and the Miller Lite Oasis in particular, might have seemed like an odd venue to take in such a prolific, layered and heavily nuanced act.  The smell alone of sloppily spilled beverages, sweet ice cream, donuts and funnel cake, mixed with the hapless remains of Saz's sample platter remnants doused in ranch dressing may turn off some (the Riverside Theater the Miller Lite Oasis is not). However, for the avid Decemberists faithful that gathered for their Miller O performance on Thursday, the band treated them to a show that can be summed up best in two words- immensely entertaining.  

photo from @Summerfest on Twitter

The Decemberists are the pinnacle of professional entertainers, and Meloy, a true theatrical showman.  The band opened with "A Beginning Song," the last track off of last year's What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World release.  From there they went on to perform a plethora of songs that encompassed their fifteen year career. Despite the diversity of their work, the shuffled deck of a setlist seemed to work well, especially after the band started getting into their groove. "Billy Liar," featured Meloy leading the crowd in an accompanying sing-a-long with one side singing one part and the other side another. "The Crane Wife 3" and "The Island" seamlessly flowed into one another and Meloy mentioned that these tunes were part of their acclaimed record, The Crane Wife, which came out a decade earlier.  "The Rake's Song" was another highlight with thumping percussion driving the track.

However, the true highlight of the evening was a spirited rendition of "The Mariner's Revenge Song." While I've seen this tune performed many times before, it was a particular treat to hear the Summerfest masses making sounds pretending they were being swallowed by a whale.  As always, the Decemberists theatrics with the prop whale get a rise from the crowd and end their show on a high note with the crowd leaving thoroughly entertained.

Setlist from Setlist.fm

1. A Beginning Song
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2. July, July!
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3. Calamity Song
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4. Billy Liar
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5. The Engine Driver
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6. The Wrong Year
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7. The Sporting Life
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8. The Crane Wife 3
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9. The Island
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10. Make You Better
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11. Rox in the Box
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12. The Rake's Song
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13. Down by the Water
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14. Dracula's Daughter
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15. O Valencia!
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16. The Mariner's Revenge Song