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The expected rain stayed clear of Summerfest and made it a perfect night to sit back and enjoy the lovely, indie-folk music of The Decemberists. While my relative unfamiliarity with the band's music meant I didn’t really know what to expect, it also made me enjoy the concert even more.

The Decemberists went on a hiatus in 2011 to spend time with family and so lead vocalist Colin Meloy could write a children's book series. After being off the radar for a while, they started to write songs that would eventually appear on their latest album, released in January 2015, called "What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World." Thursday marked the band's second time in Milwaukee since this record's release, and boy, were we lucky to have them.

Playing in front of a backdrop that represented the artwork of their latest album – which is full of colors, unique shapes and patterns – they band also had cloths draped over their instruments with painted symbols of an eye, lion and other fun shapes that added some extra pizazz to the stage.

_{(PHOTO: Lily Wellen)}

The band's high energy level was impressive. Simplicity is something you can always appreciate from a band and it was so nice to watch the Decemberists do their thing and enjoy themselves on the stage without the distraction of crazy lights and theatrics. Meloy was having a great time goofing around, interacting with the audience and playing his heart out.

During the song "Billy Liar," Meloy had the audience sing "ba ba ba" softer or louder based on his cues. He also ecnouraged the crowd to snap and clap during the songs which added to the fun.

Meloy was having fun with us and on stage. This just made the concert so much better. As he was performing, he would pretend to be the bass player by playing an air instrument. He would hug his guitar and dance as he was singing. The audience couldn’t help but smile at him waltzing around the stage.

The other members, as well, were just fun dancing to their music. They totally impressed me with pretty much all of them being multi-instrument musicians. Jenny Conlee played the organ, the accordion and even sang a little bit. Another member, Chris Funk, went from playing guitar to banjo. Drummer John Moen put the drumsticks down for a song and played the organ. Those band members and others were constantly switching out their instruments for new ones. It was insane, but it showed that pretty much every band member in the Decemberists is super talented.

_{(PHOTO: Lily Wellen)}

However, what really surprised me was the crowd. After attending many crazy and crowded concerts this week, it was nice to have a change of pace by seeing the Decemberists. Although they still pretty much filled up the Miller Lite Oasis stage area, it just felt different. 

There weren't extremely drunk people annoying you. There wasn’t pushing or shoving to move people out of the way of their spot. There was just people genuinely enjoying themselves and listening to the music.

Everyone was bopping to the music by moving and goofily grooving their body. Couples were swaying and twirling around the aisles. People were smiling and laughing with the friends they came with. It was a happy-go-lucky vibe that I appreciated in the midst of Summerfest's craziness.

The highlight of the whole show, though, was when they did their closing song, "The Mariner’s Revenge Song." The song is a story about two mariners stuck in the belly of a whale. As they sang the song, a cardboard whale came out. The band members acted as if they were the mariners and been eaten by the whale. When the whale moved across the stage, the band would jump into its mouth and fall down to the ground on the stage. It added excitement to the show and was like we were watching a musical with their theatrical acting. It was a perfect way to end the show.

People stayed after cheering, hoping there was an encore. The band ended up not coming back out, but it still left the audience on a happy note. Leaving the show tonight, people were definitely feeling the positives vibes as they exited the park with smiles on their faces, in a better mood because they'd seen the Decemberists. The band brought a more upbeat, cheerful set to Summerfest, and Milwaukee was thankful for that. 

Set list:

"A Beginning Song"
"July, July!"
"Calamity Song"
"Billy Liar"
"The Engine Driver"
"The Wrong Year"
"The Sporting Life"
"The Crane Wife 3"
"The Island: Come & See"/"The Landlord's Daughter"/"You'll Not Feel The Drowning"
"Makes You Better"
"Rox in the Box"
"The Rake’s Song"
"Down by the Water"
"O Valencia!"
"The Mariner’s Revenge Song"