The Decemberists are more than just a band. The group led by Colin Meloy is, of course, a band, but The Decemberists’ songs also incorporate elements of musical theater and performance art, often telling stories in the style of folk tales. Musically, The Decemberists are heavily influenced by traditional folk songs, but recent album I’ll Be Your Girl found them adding modern synths to their sound and focusing their lyrics more on current events than whimsical characters. All Music said that Girl’s “swaths of synths provide a vibrant, colorful jolt,” and A.V. Club called the album “a welcome sign of a veteran band eager to experiment.”

Meloy has dubbed the new album an “apocalyptic dance party,” but apocalyptic or not, a party is still a party. The Decemberists’ music is upbeat, catchy and engaging even if Meloy’s lyrics are dark and ominous at times. The party atmosphere continues in concert, although the current tour is scaled back a bit from previous elaborate shows. “I’m more interested in being inclusive these days,” Meloy told The Atlantic about The Decemberists’ recent music, and even in the face of a potential apocalypse, he and his bandmates are doing just that.

House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, 8:30 p.m. Aug. 1, starting at $30.50 plus tax and fee. 800.745.3000 Ticketmaster