Clockwise from top left: Jon Batiste, Beck, Run The Jewels, Tinashe, The Eagles, The Black Angels, Jayhawks, Lucy Dacus, Eyelids and Fred Armisen. Staff and courtesy composite. Concerts began returning in 2021 as artists cautiously hit the road, still balancing their safety and health with their livelihoods. Some of…

OAKLAND — The Decemberists are known for incorporating elaborate stories and historical references in their songs, as well as audience participation. But Thursday at the Fox Theater, singer-guitarist Colin Meloy announced that they did not want to repeat themselves and would instead try something new with “stuff they don’t normally play.” Remarkably, Meloy…