Review: The Decemberists and Loch Lomond at the Wellmont Theatre

One thing that separates a good show from a near-great one is venue selection. If a band is in the wrong room for its sound, it doesn't matter how well they are playing that night, something will just seem not quite right. On the flip side, a grand and great-sounding room can seem squandered on a band that can't quite fill it, sonically speaking.

However, Jersey indie rock fans were treated to a best-case scenario Tuesday night (Nov. 11) when two stellar Portland, Ore.-based folk-rock bands, the Decemberists and Loch Lomond, brought their warm and intelligent sounds to the recently-reopened Wellmont Theatre in downtown Montclair.

Sporting a freshened-up look plucked from a bygone era (the theatre first opened in 1922) and solid sound, the Wellmont was a welcoming venue, and one particularly suited to the acts on the bill, two bands playing music that usually sounded as if the last couple of decades had simply passed them by.

After taking the stage to the electronic score from "A Clockwork Orange," the Decembrists delivered a 90-minute set of artsy folk rock that spanned their entire career, covering everything from their biggest hit ("O Valencia!" from 2006's "The Crane Wife") to obscure b-sides (this year's "Raincoat Song").

Sounding not unlike Death Cab for Cutie during a power outage, the band called upon instruments such as a banjo, acoustic guitars aplenty and even a hurdy-gurdy in the service of charmingly old-timey songs such as "The Engine Driver" and "The Chimbley Sweep."

However, modernity did creep into the set a few times, such as on "Valerie Plame," the bouncy single about the former CIA officer, a post-election chant of "Yes we did" lead by lead singer Colin Meloy and the 2005 tune "16 Military Wives," which felt like an appropriate song choice for a show held on Veteran's Day.

Tuesday night's show also included the sights and sounds of a twin electric guitar attack from Meloy -- who usually plays acoustic -- and fellow Decemberist Chris Funk on the new track "Days of Elaine."

However, what should have been a sweet moment turned sour a few measures into the song, when it became clear that Meloy's seldom-used electric guitar amp sounded louder than the rest of the band, making the song, at least from the front of the crowd, a rough listen. The track also came to an awkward halt when Meloy, who had been sipping red wine between numbers, decided to embark on a disintegrating, Neil Young-like solo that left the rest of his band looking confused.

Ultimately though, the night's highs - Meloy walking through the crowd during "Culling of the Fold," the wild cheers that greeted the opening chord of "The Crane Wife 3," Funk's Peter Buck-meets-George Harrison playing on "The Apology Song" - more than outnumbered its lows.

Opening the show was Loch Lomond, a chamber folk ensemble that sounded like the Pacific northwest's answer to Sigur Ros. Showcasing material from their latest album, 2007's "Paper the Walls," the band delivered a brisk set full of lush harmonies, unconventional instrumentation (mandolin, bass clarinet and viola were all featured) and enough earnest feelings to make even the most jaded hipster quietly nod with approval.

The band, which was wrapping up its run of east coast dates with the Decemberists in Montclair, was welcomed back to the stage for the end of the headliners' set, which saw both bands and friends swaying arm and arm, singing the poignant and timeless final refrain of "Sons and Daughters": "Hear all the bombs fade away."

Here's the Decemberists' set list from Tuesday night: 

1. "Shanty for Arethusa"
2. "July, July!"
3. "Valerie Plame"
4. "The Engine Driver"
5. "On the Bus Mall"
6. "The Bachelor and the Bride"
7. "The Crane Wife 3"
8. "Apology Song"
9. "Days of Elaine"
10. "Record Year"
11. "O Valencia!"
12. "The Culling of the Fold"
13. "The Chimbley Sweep"
14. "16 Military Wives"

Encore:
15. "Raincoat Song"
16. "Eli, the Barrow Boy"
17. "Sons and Daughters"