On any given night, The Decemberists [ tickets ] can be one of the best live acts in the business. Unfortunately, Monday night (9/12) at The Fillmore in San Francisco wasn't one of them.

There aren't many failed shows that can be partially blamed on George Lucas. But this was one of them. Some of the band members had made the short trip across the Golden Gate Bridge to visit the filmmaker's Skywalker Ranch in San Rafael (which really says something about the indie band's status in pop culture, given that gaining access to that film fortress is about as easy as securing a one-on-one interview with Bruce Lee).

The band was absolutely giddy about the visit--to the point where it really derailed this show, which was the second half of a sold-out, two-night stand at the hallowed venue.

"Tonight is officially a 'Star Wars'-themed evening," proclaimed vocalist-songwriter Colin Meloy.

That prompted Petra Haden, the daughter of jazz great Charlie Haden, to play the "Star Wars" theme on the violin. It was clever--the first time. It was annoying the third and fourth times. It also made for discussions of "Star Wars" bed sheets, "Star Wars" characters and general "Star Wars" trivia. The rock bottom occurred when the band engaged in a light-saber battle on stage, which did far more harm to the great "The Chimbley Sweep" than Darth Vader did to Obi-Wan Kenobi.

All of that might have been OK if the Portland, OR-based group had been somehow able to find "The Force." Instead, the band's performance just seemed forced. All of the attempts at being cute and spontaneous felt carefully scripted. The result was that the antics--from the dramatic falls to the floor of the stage to the light-saber duel--made the band come across like indie pop's version of The Monkees.

That's a shame. When things are working for the band, like they were back in March during a winning concert at Bimbo's 365 Club in San Francisco, The Decemberists can come across as one of the most refreshingly original acts in college rock. On this night, however, the group came across like an act that is already running itself through the motions.

Luckily, Meloy is such a fine songwriter that, even on an off night, those motions can still produce some enjoyable moments. In particular, the band was able to score with solid versions of "We Both Go Down Together" and "16 Military Wives," from the group's excellent new album, "Picaresque."

One also has to give credit to the band for understanding its audience. It's always a good idea for an act performing in San Francisco to play a song that makes fun of Los Angeles. The band definitely checked that box with "Los Angeles, I'm Yours" (from 2003's "Her Majesty"). The Decemberists also won over the bookish crowd members--none of whom probably had to make a tough decision between staying home to watch the season opener for "Monday Night Football" or going out to the concert--with the tale of a failed career in athletics found on the new album's "The Sporting Life."

Even the "Star Wars" theme seemed like a natural fit for a setting where a geeky love for cheesy pop culture has long outweighed a jock's passion for sports.

But connecting with a crowd will only get an act so far. In the end, it was the band's lack of focus and contrived performance that killed this show. In that sense, it reminded me a lot of the last "Star Wars" flick.