I’m not sure if they were reading their setlist upside down, but the Decemberists opened with two of their perfect show-stopping closer numbers: the eight-plus minute “Mariner’s Revenge Song,” and “the Tain.” That’s right, I finally got to see them play “the Tain.”

I’ve always thought that the Decemberists seem just a little bit more awkward at festivals (even more so when the sun is up), so the cards were stacked a bit against them at Bonnaroo. Even so, their set was fantastic. I missed it, but Mavis Staples apparently joined them for a cover of The Band’s “The Weight.” What a way to (presumably) knock it out of the park!