By DCist Music contributor Colin Peppard.

Even without Rachel Blumberg to bang the drums and hit those high notes, The Decemberists managed to lead a packed house through 90 minutes of revelry, revenge, despair and decadence last night at the 9:30 Club. DCist was there to witness all of their theatrics and haughty wordplay, and we certainly went home satisfied (maybe we’re just partial to names that end in -ist, though).

Up-and-comers Sons and Daughters opened the show, cranking out some uber-Scottish post-punk foot-stompers. Located somewhere in a strange love triangle consisting of Bloc Party, Nick Cave and Johnny Cash, the quartet unfortunately lost much of the momentum it showcased on The Repulsion Box, their 2005 LP. Long delays between short songs left our fidgety DC brethren anxious and a bit confused. However, by the end of the set, the band had found their feet, blasting us with a solid rendition of “Checked,” where guitarist Scott Paterson got to showcase his innovative use of the slide.

A short break was abruptly disturbed when The Decemberists announced their arrival with the sounding of cymbals and gongs and howls from offstage. Unlike the cover art and liner notes gracing several of The Decemberists’ albums, the theatrics had a clear tongue-in-cheek element that was absent the pretense we expected. The band assembled, high-fiving with their tambourines and dressed in everything from a striped suit to what appeared to be pajamas, complete with interesting period hats.