Live Review: The Decemberists, Shakey Graves

Shakey Graves begins entrancing the crowd the moment he steps on stage, his drummer and bassist in tow. A confident and collected demeanor transforms into a husky, almost romantically voiced thumping rock ballad reminiscent of Kings Of Leon, but with a charismatic howling edge entirely his own. Graves switches to a few more acoustic solo tunes where the percussion, vocals and guitar are completely reliant on him before his band returns to the stage, never losing that hint of folk at the centre of so much rock.

Colin Meloy walks on stage with a glass of wine, the crowd's excitement erupting around the hall. Without a word he swaps his wine for a guitar and The Singer Addresses His Audience starts an eerily charming echo. Soon enough, Meloy is joined by two backing vocalists and plays off a stumble of the fingers by directing a sheepish smile toward the crowd. The remainder of The Decemberists join him soon after. The build from a simple acoustic into a folk-rock ballad sees Meloy taking full ownership of the hall. Cavalry Captain, one of The Decemberists' more folk-sounding songs, fully utilizes the Hall's acoustics, overwhelming the crowd with every cleverly calculated note.

Focusing mainly on The King Is Dead and What A Terrible World, What A Wonderful World, The Decemberists don't restrict themselves to material from their two most recent albums, however, and pluck out an old favourite, Culling Of The Fold. Meloy finishes the song by pretending his mic lead is a noose; "I threw my neck out," he laughs, addressing drummer John Moen. Clearly influenced by British and Irish folk music, The Decemberists maintain their general folk-rock outlook, which is apparent in songs such as Better Not Wake the Baby. Make You Better showcases a more familiar contemporary-rock sound and features lilting beginning notes. Lake Song then holds a more relaxed and sometimes sombre tone. The unapologetically upbeat instrumental parts of Rox In The Box contrast this song's lyrical content.

The band of seven remains energetic to the very last second and the crowd follows the mood of every song throughout the entirety of their two-hour set. Mariner's Revenge Song brings the humour when a whale prop is brought on to 'demolish' the band. This buoyant tune is then complemented by the more subdued Dear Avery. They end with a bang. We'll be back to see The Decemberists next time they tour.