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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 18, 2006)
Clackamas Print______________ u. 2006_____________________________________ Arts Entertainment 7 lecemberists release new CD yo Stalnaker Clackamas Print ,e Decemberists’ major debut, The Crane Wife, ossibly one of the best ds to ever be produced Portland band. t Crane Wife is a concept 1 of sorts, based loose- jf a Japanese folk tale 1 a poor man who finds landed'' crane, nurses it to health, then the crane away. The next day, a ■ous woman appears on oorstep, and they imme- |y fall in love and get ¡ed. The woman decides ir clothes for the man so ie can sell them in town, catch is, the man can’t |i her make the clothes, man decides to peek in is wife anyway, and he vers that she’s actually me that is plucking her feathers and using them ike the clothes. She then away and never returns. Long-time fans of the Decemberists will be glad to know that they have nqft sold out. The Crane Wife is in many ways similar to their previous efforts, however it does contain more prog-rock elements (two of the tracks are around 12 minutes long), along with the sea-faring, Irish folk, pseudo-Brit pop music that the Decemberists are known for. Frontman Colin Meloy’s vocals are in rare form on songs like the chilling “Shankill Butchers,” the upbeat “Sons and Daughters” and the title track, which is in three parts and contains very intricate and passionate storytelling, not to mention infectious melodies. And of course, the lyrics are very well written. Colin Meloy is definitely one of the better songwriters in the indie-rock world. One of the real treats on this album is the song “The Perfect Crime #2.” It is one of the more promi nent rockers on the record and features a groovin’ bass line and energetic guitar riffs. All in all, this album is stunning. I find it to be better than The Decemberists’ previous works, and I believe that The Crane Wife will shoot this band into stardom. Sure, The Decemberists might be a little “artsy,” but what do you expect from a band that put out an EP of Morrissey covers? To all the nay-sayers, I think Colin Meloy said it best in the fol lowing Quote: “I would certainly rather be [a heart- throb] to a bunch of English majors and drama fags than a bunch of sorority girls.” http: / /www. amazon .com The cover of the newest Decemberists album which came out Oct. 3, The Crane Wife, displays the band’s eccentric sensibilities. le ‘December Brides9 show proves to be a nice surprise II Sorensen Mamas Print a fan of the Decemberists’ I feel like I’ve learned a as from their eloquent lyr- ; deliberate progressions. , ng 1 learned at their secret •1 month ago, however, is enext time I buy a round of for the band, I’ll make sure t to the stage. Sept. 20, roughly 150 peo- ncluding my two friends and d along a Portland sidewalk rapped around The Acme si 8th and Main. Shivering esiless. we waited for over nr to see if other patrons of ?ac;t\ -filled bar would make lor the rest of us. : bar had billed the eve- 1 entertainment as a fund featuring Alela Diane and December Brides,” a pseud- tecognized only by fans of ad's own Decemberists. The I the door allowed 11 more to pass before turning his m the crowd outside, and I was relieved to be tenth in line. round for the band. After two more Seeing the Decemberists with two songs, an order of Whiskey from buddies for a $5 cover? It was Baumgarten himself was delivered going to be a good night. on behalf of his paper. ThePortland The Acme show, according to Mercury covered the next round, Willamette Week's and The Oregonian Mark Baumgarten, followed suit shortly after. One by one, it was a warm-up for “Seeing seemed like every their tour which journalist in the room kicked off last the was pushing their way night at the Crystal December back to the bar to arm Ballroom to pro themselves for a truly mote the band’s ists with media-driven booze newest album, The two bud battle that turned, as Crane Wife. The dies for a Baumgarten put it, “a tour will end in pleasant celebration New York, where $5 cover? into a rowdy free-for- the Decemberists It was all.” Nobody seemed will play to a crowd to complain, either. going to of 37,000, but that The second half night at the Acme, be a good of the Decemberists’ the Decemberists night.” set was littered with played to a hand covers, including ful of people in the The Outfield’s “Your bar plus a few more Love” and the Sex fans with their noses - and cameras - pressed Pistols’ “E.M.I.,” and ended with a very drunk - and, frankly, obnox against the windows outside. After only the first couple ious - fan shouting directly into my songs of the set, lead singer Colin left ear until Meloy, swaying and Meloy asked the crowd to buy a exhausted from the combination H: Lead singer of the Decemberists, Colin Meloy, ends the night’s energized set by setting his guitar and falling into drummer John Moen’s lap. :Meloy sings to the crowd of roughly 100 Decemberists fans at The Acme on Sept. 20. of his performance and his drinks, conceded to his wishes and closed the show with an electric version of “Of Angels and Angles” from their last album, Picaresque. The song, which Baumgarten described as “one of the gentlest composi tions [Meloy] has ever penned,” was instead presented as a gritty, tormented ballad that, when com bined with Meloy’s “three inch stare,” was transformed into a sur real and truly unique experience. Between prodding for drinks, rallying the crowd to chant “let them in” (which allowed entrance for those who were devoted enough to stay pressed to the win dows through tiie first half), and alternating between old tracks and new, the Decemberists also introduced their newest member, Lisa Molinaro, who will be cover ing glockenspiel and string parts - among others - for the tour. Provided the tickets are still available by the time this goes to print, the Decemberists will be playing a second Crystal Ballroom show tonight with doors opening at 8 p.m., and I suggest to anyone who can attend that they should. As far as the press war at the Acme, I spent my last $25 on a round of six pints for the band — on behalf of 77ie Print — and tried to push them to the stage. The sound engineer, who was immediately stage left, told me to leave them with him and that he’d pass them to the band. I guess I still have something to learn about “big time” journalism, because I never found out what happened to the beers, and the band never got them. My friends told me I should say or do something about it, maybe ask for a refund. I, in turn, explained to them that $30 was a small price to pay for the story I would be able to tell from that night, which turned out to be one of the best nights of my life.
