I want to start out by saying that The Decemberists’ music has never touched me the way it has so many of their fans. That said, I believe they are pushing the boundaries of art-rock with some degree of brilliance. Their most recent release, “Hazards of Love”, is a testament to their desire to craft the perfect rock opera – and it largely succeeds in doing so.

BUT, this article is not about their music. It is about their live show on Saturday in Minneapolis. I attended the band’s sold-out performance at the Walker Arts Center’s “Rock the Garden”, and I’ll be damned if The Decemberists didn’t put on the best live show I have EVER seen! Seriously.

This band put on a show worthy of a Broadway residency.  Lights, costumes, acting, music – it was all there, perfectly choreographed and beautifully executed.  During the finale, I even got goosebumps!

It was the type of show that can turn a guy onto listening to a band’s music (“Hazards of Love” is spinning in my iTunes as I write this).