The Decemberists: Newport Folk 2011

Published July 30, 2011 at 10:33 PM EDT

Colin Meloy of The Decemberists performs at the 2011 Newport Folk Festival.

In the span of just a few years, The Decemberists' Colin Meloy has taken an unlikely path from brainy folk-pop obscurity to commanding frontman — the sort of confident singer who can fill open-air venues with his lone voice when he's not crafting ludicrously ambitious "folk operas" like 2009's The Hazards of Love. The Decemberists scaled back those ambitions on this year's lustrous-but-straightforward The King Is Dead. But make no mistake: Songs this infectious aren't crafted without a healthy dollop of ambition — and an even greater application of craft and skill. Hear The Decemberists' members reach back into their rich catalog live at the 2011 Newport Folk Festival in Newport, R.I.

Set List

"July, July!"

"Calamity Song"

"Down By The Water"

"Rise To Me"

"The Soldiering Life"

"We Both Go Down Together"

"Won't Want For Love"

"The Rake's Song"

"Rox In The Box"

"O Valencia"

"This Is Why We Fight"

"Mariner's Revenge"

"All Arise!"

"June Hymn"