In one of my greatest acts of travel stupidity, I missed my flight from Boston to LA. It was only by divine intelligence, I’m sure, that I still made it on time to the The Decemberists at the Hollywood Palladium that night. One of the greatest concerts I’ve ever been to.

They played two short sets plus an encore, the first set being The Hazards of Love, in its entirety, without interruption. For the second, they opened with a touching version of “Los Angeles, I’m Yours,” followed by a mélange of hits, covers, and B-sides.

Hazards benefits greatly from a live performance, and the Decemberists pulled out the stops. Five sets of drums on “The Rake Song,” dual female vocals from Becky Stark (of Lavender Diamond) and Shara Worden (of My Brighest Diamond), both of whom stay somewhat in character throughout.

I love seeing bands on the first show of a long tour. You see a lot of the kinks and mistakes, which makes it seem so much more real, somehow, and you also get to see the band having more fun than usual. And to top it all off, this show had a silk-screened concert poster. First time I show I’ve been at - other than a festival - has had dated posters.

Very psyched.