Colin Meloy at The Fillmore

So, one guy, his guitar, sultry lighting, and an accoustic set should equal a passive, relaxed evening of music and ambient sounds, right?

Wrong.

So wrong with Colin Meloy.

Through an hour long set, then fifteen minutes of encores, Meloy had the audience practically eating out of the palm of his hands; hungry for more each time, Meloy pushed his music and talents to a limit that can only be reached in a live setting. His voice carried strong and true, ringing at all points of the large Fillmore auditorium. His guitar's twangy, folksy sounds filled the space. And the celtic and irish feel to his tunes made you want to move to the beat in any way possible, even if it was just by swaying back and forth.

Playing wise, Meloy uses every inch of the guitar and his vocal range, creating a plethora of different noises, sounds, and melodies. Some of the songs Meloy played use the most beautiful keys and chords I have ever heard. Combined with Meloy's smooth, strong voice, the outcome is a range of ear pleasing songs. His guitars are not instruments; only extensions of himself that he uses to create this sound from inside him. His quirky ways, like having to stand on his tippy toes to tune his guitar, bring out his different and yet extremely effective playing style.

Along with superb musicianship, Meloy creates a very personal and intimate relationship with the crowd. Talking directly to us as individuals, and yet addressing everyone at once, Meloy made jokes, responded to questions yelled out, and provided witty and amusing anecdotes to either go with songs or accompany a theme. Every time a certain person near the front yelled something at him, Meloy would respond "Inside voice, man. You could work in show biz."

It was wonderful to see Meloy able to make fun of himself, laugh at himself, and play around with his music. Seeing that he does not take himself too seriously was refreshing and made the night all the more memorable. Meloy had everyone in laughter as he sang "The Perfect Crime #2" and repeated "perfect" about ten more times than he usually does in the song, walking back and forth on the stage between mics humorously.

From singing electric guitar solos himself, getting the audience to do it, or merely saying mid-song "This is the guitar solo part", the overall style and feeling of the concert was unique, different, and wonderful. A powerful accoustic set, rendered intimate and personal, yet still large and maginificent in a musical way.

Meloy mixed it up with a few songs of his own, old and new, a cover of Sam Cooke, and songs from his band The Decemberists. At the end of the set, all of us were screaming and chanting for more, stomping our feet and clapping our hands, until Meloy came back on, finishing with the epic "Mariners Revenge Song". What a way to end. And who knew this song, usually performed with about 7 instruments, could sound so powerful on accoustic guitar?

Maybe it was the antics of frontman Colin Meloy. Maybe it was the audience filling in for other band members singing roles. Maybe it was the entire crowd stomping and clapping like real mariners on deck, in time with the music.

Whatever it was, Meloy brought it out of us in the best way.