Pedantry Digest

Tonight, I went out to see The Decemberists. I'd never heard of them before, but my friend, Liz, had an extra ticket. BOY, AM I EVER GRATEFUL THAT LIZ HAD AN EXTRA TICKET. Go buy all of their albums and get back to me.

Also, my apologies in advance. To start, I had taken 136 photos. I am posting 28 of them. I know that's still a lot and, if you are on dial-up (Why are you on dial-up?), it's going to take forever-and-a-day to load. But, c'mon, that's still about 80% fewer photos than you'd have to deal with if I'd kept them all. Be thankful.

That said.

One of the many groups of hipsters hanging out around the parking lot before the show. Cost to park for three hours: 11$CDN.





Approximately at Sherbourne Street and Earl Place: The Phoenix Concert Theatre.





When Liz and I arrived (after some minor confusion with the bouncers checking her Maryland state driver's license and some major confusion involving Will Call [and the great lack thereof]), the place was still relatively empty. It didn't stay that way for long.













About 15 minutes into the opening act, my knees were already getting sore, so I squatted for a bit. Let me tell you, nothing makes you feel quite so young and vibrant as having to squat in the middle of a concert as a result of sore joints.





This is Liz (looking, I think, a bit like Anne Frank). Liz is awesome and a fine purveyor of All Things Indie-Musical.





And, finally, The Decemberists! The guy in front of me (the one thing seperating me from the stage itself) was rocking out all night. Truly, his head was in a constant state of motion. How he didn't make himself ill is beyond me.





The bespectacled Colin Maloy, lead singer. Also a man in a constant state of motion. You've never seen someone have as much fun playing music as this guy. Also a worthy note: he can open is mouth really, really wide.





The second guitarist (may have been a bass guitar) and the drummer. The guitarist also played the cello and the drummer also played a guitar. These guys are multi-talented.









Voila! Bass.





Between songs.





Colin Maloy, still having a great time.





I don't know her name, but she played tambourine, violin, and managed to sing in her head voice and sound really good while doing it.





More bespectacled folk in the audience.





The beginning of The Very Best Part Of The Concert, as the band sang and played across the stage to one another.





Lights in the audience. In 1965, these would be candles. In 2005, they're digital cameras and camera-phones.





And, now, we clap like five-year-olds. Good times, good times.





Colin Maloy, wordlessly requesting that we all sit down on the floor...





...and we did.









Because he can, the lead singer playing on his back while we, the audience, sat on the very sticky floor.





Oh, are you guys still here?





This guy kept looking at me. There's a good chance he was looking at me because I was along his most direct route to the bar.





Bandmate love: Colin Maloy mounts drummer (might be a man named Rick Rigmore, might not).





Looking particularly graceful with a bass.





All good things must come to an end.