The Decemberists Divide and Conquer the Art of the Indie Rock Show

To wrap up a solid year of touring for their hit release The Crane Wife, the Decemberists will set off on a final two-month U.S. leg this Sunday.
The tour, titled “The Long and Short of It,” is a series of two-night stands in each city. The first night will include all of their lengthy songs, including the title track “Crane Wife 1 & 2.” The “Short of It” is the next night, and the band assures that it will not be shorter in length. Instead, it will highlight some of the band’s shorter, catchier tunes.

When the Portland band switched recently to Capitol Records, many fans feared the Decemberists would lose the sound for which they were so loved. Instead, the majority of fans found The Crane Wife—the first album released under the new label—to be an astonishing success, showcasing the band’s many talents and endless range.

The band is noted for lead singer/songwriter Colin Meloy’s unmatched storytelling ability, very much on display in The Crane Wife—the title song’s lyrics are based on a Japanese folk tale. Meloy retells the story in intricate detail while also setting it to a beautifully looping melody. The ability of the Decemberists to simultaneously tell an engaging story and set it to a moving score is widely regarded as the reason for their success. Some consider Meloy to be one of the most intellectual songwriters of 21st century indie rock—critics often note his astounding vocabulary, which he claims “just happens.”

Starting in Chicago, the tour’s second stop is New York’s Terminal 5 on Nov. 1 and 2. Since this is the band’s third tour for The Crane Wife’s release, it is expected to be the last tour for at least a year.

When asked what the motivation for such a unique tour was, keyboardist Jenny Conlee told Spectator, “It is for our fans.” The tour is very much targeted at the band’s core fan base, rather than at casual listeners. Those on the Decemberists’ mailing list were given the opportunity to receive limited-edition personalized tickets. When fans purchase tickets for both nights in any given city, they’re given a free poster designed by the band’s personal artist. “We’re trying to make our fans feel important, to make it interesting and fun for them,” Conlee said.

“We all love performing onstage .... We especially love New York,” Conlee said. “There is so much energy thrown onstage.” She summed it up by explaining, “We just wanted to make our last tour something special.”

And the format isn’t the tour’s only unusual aspect. Several of the nights will be “request nights”—some based on voting online the night before, others on open requests at the show.

After recovering from their continent-spanning, yearlong tour, the band will begin working on a new album. But they’re reluctant to talk about that just yet—they are “too excited for this tour here .... It is basically saying thank you to all of our fans for their support,” Conlee said. “Now we’re going to go hide away.”