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| - The Benedum Center for the Performing Arts was originally a movie theater called The Stanley. It was built in 1927 and was billed as "Pittsburgh's Palace of Amusement." It's acoustics are nearly perfect because back when it was built, 65 cents would not only buy you a "photoplay", but you'd also get live entertainment too. A two year renovation in the late 1980s under the guidelines of the U.S. Department of the Interior brought it back to its original condition.
The grand lobby's mirrors and woodwork are all original. Of the more than 90 chandeliers and sconces in the theater, only one is a replica. In fact, the main chandelier weighs 4,700 pounds and is 20 feet high and 12 feet wide. The sightlines here are awesome. It truly is a masterpiece of theater design.
Let's face it fellow Yelpers, you're not here for my architectural reviews are you?
Okay.
I came here last night for the Decemberists concert featuring Justin Townes Earle as the opener. There were only single seats left when I tried to get tickets. So I ended up going by myself to the show. Hey a married babe can treat herself to a night out on occasion!
The Portland, OR based Decemberists have been burning up the indie rock scene for a few years now and their CD "The King Is Dead" has been doing quite well. So much so that it reached #1 on the Billboard Charts in late January. The Decemberists in the past have dabbled in so-called "progressive rock" and British folk but this new CD is definitely more of an Americana/Alt Country sound. So much so that the single "Down by the Water" reminds me of Firetown's "The Good Life" for some reason (Firetown later evolved into Garbage--in both senses of the word.. But that's another story).
So it was no surprise that after doing "The Crane Wife, Parts 1-3", Colin Meloy told the audience "I don't know who wrote the set list, but they thought we were a prog band. We're not a prog band anymore. We're a folk band." Hmmm! That actually was a pretty apt description. Despite this, they managed to get a lot of songs in from their catalogue.
There was plenty of good singin' and good playin' though. Sam Watkins of Nickel Creek played fiddle against Jenny Conlee's accordion and they did a rousing Irish jig to the song "Rox in the Box". It was almost strange though how Meloy apologized for taking the tempo down a notch during the gorgeous new song "Rise to Me". They also did their most epic pieces in the middle of the show, and face it folks, you can't keep a good prog band down!
But anyway, this show proved that the Decemberists aren't some flash in the pan. Their many musical stylings and their abililty to move a show along proves that they're in it for the long haul. I should also mention that my 60-something father, a music fan in his own right, absolutely loves the Decemberists. Now you know where I get those genes from.
As I mentioned, Justin Townes Earle opened the show and if his last name sounds familiar, it should. His father is the iconic Steve Earle (another one of my favorites). Justin gets his middle name Townes, from Townes Van Zandt, of whom Steve Earle was a great friend. Justin Townes Earle is definitely more bluesy than his old man and while he seems to be a good performer, only time will tell if he lives up to the musical legacy of his father.
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