The Decemberists Pack Out The Pageant in St. Louis

st. louis - may 17, 2024

American indie folk band The Decemberists graced The Pageant in St. Louis with a beautiful evening on A Peaceable Kingdom North American Tour. 

Ratboys, an indie rock band hailing from Chicago, opened the stage with a few songs from their new record ‘Windows’ and then ventured into some oldies for the longtime fans. From childhood cats to hard goodbyes to falling in love when you’re 18, each song brought a new sense of energy that continued to charge the crowd for the evening to come. 

The Decemberists first graced the stage with an acoustic set of three songs: “Don’t Go to the Woods” live debut, “January Hymn,” and “June Hymn.” “This is the gazebo portion of the set,” frontman Colin Meloy joked–but it was the perfect way to describe the feeling. Peaceful, intimate, and lit only by vine-wrapped lamplights, each member of the band showcased their musical talents. The array of instruments on the stage was impressive beyond belief–from acoustic guitars to a piano accordion to a triangle and a harmonica–but still, the vocals came out on top. 

With the blow of a horn, the rest of the set began. A burst of adrenaline rushed through the audience as the band played “The Infanta.” This St. Louis crowd did not disappoint. With a turnout so high that there was no room to stand, even back at the bar, the energy was lively enough for them to be announced as the “most energetic crowd” halfway through the show. As the setlist flowed through iconic musical adaptations such as “The Crane Wife 1” to their newest release “Oh No!”, it was clear that The Decemberists made a mark through their brilliant musicality, theatrical lyrics, and powerhouse vocals.

One thing that stands out the most about what made this concert beyond enjoyable was the amount of banter and crowd interaction sprinkled throughout the evening. Meloy stated early into the night, “I’m gonna make you all sing a little bit… even if it’s uncomfortable.” Every other song was a new backstory, new inside joke, new call-and-response–and the people loved it. By the end of the night, the band had each soul in the room participating in a two-minute long repetition of “La de da de da de-dadedade-da” during “16 Military Wives,” section by section. 

A night like that is one to remember. Typically, the energy of a concert dissipates after it’s over, but The Decemberists left St. Louis to a room full of life and excitement. As they build anticipation for their new album “As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again” to come on June 14, there is no doubt that the people of The Pageant hope to see this group back in their area in the future.