"Turn to your neighbor and say hello. Introduce yourself using ten words or less..."

So began last night's nerd-a-thon at la Maroquinerie.

The Decemberists played to a sold-out and devoted following who giggled, actually did introduce themselves, and then mouthed along to every subsequent word.

And what words they were...

The Decemberists inspire glee and admiration from those (like Gothamist) who like their music smart. Their songs are intricate and elemental, with lyrics that borrow heavily from Japanese folk tales, sea shanties, and the American gothic literary tradition.

Their layered tales come in many different flavors, by turns twee like Belle and Sebastian, haunted like the Handsome Family, or wistful like Neutral Milk Hotel.

On stage, the band was unbridled and without pretention. Hair without product and gestures without pose - they just seemed so happy to be there. Jenny Conlee was particularly mesmerizing on the keyboards - rocking back and forth and banging her moppet head in a fit of prog-folk abandon.

Hardly your usual show at indie rock central. The crowd exploded for pop favorites like "O Valencia!" and "Billy Liar," and remained transfixed for somber murder ballads like “The Island” and "Shankhill Butchers."

After finishing the regular set with a rousing rendition of "Sons and Daughters" (including an extended crowd sing-along), Colin Meloy returned to the stage alone to perform "Red Right Ankle," a tear-jerking tribute to anatomical symmetry.

For the final encore, the Decemberists were joined on stage by Lavender Diamond for a delightfully absurd (if not entirely sexy) version of Bad Company's classic rock anthem "Feel Like Making Love."

Last night was the close of their European tour, so the Decemberists now head back to Oregon where, according to Stephen Colbert, they are "probably growing hemp and trying to come up with a pretentious word that rhymes with salamander."

For those of you who don't know Colbert, or the alternate-universe guitar challenge he issued against the Decemberists (presided over by Dr. Henry Kissenger who declared "Stephen, it is time to rock" ), we offer this for your viewing pleasure: