Colin Meloy is one of the most distinctive singers, songwriters, and bandleaders to emerge from indie rock during the last quarter-century. With The Decemberists, he delivers meticulously rendered and hyper-literate sagas about the annals of the human condition with a voice always pitched in urgency. The Decemberists remain one of music’s most ambitious bands, too, closing their most recent album with a 20-minute folk-prog odyssey. Meloy has also maintained a strong solo practice, from his popular newsletter to award-winning young-adult novels to cover albums of the likes of Sam Cooke and Shirley Collins. A warm performer with a self-deprecating wit, he makes his Spoleto debut this year beneath the live oaks of Cistern Yard.

Attendance at all events is subject to the Festival security policy.