Death Cab for Cutie in Seattle

We went to see Death Cab last Saturday night at Climate Pledge Arena. It was the third time we've seen them, and based on the way we both felt as we exited the arena, I'm sure we'll pop for tickets the next time they play. Very few acts can play in a space that size and yet maintain a truly intimate feel to their show. Ben Gibbard was in fine voice, and the ensemble playing throughout the set never slipped up or fell short.

Their "hook" on this short tour is commemorating the 20th anniversary of their Atlantic debut Plans. Based on what we heard from the singalong efforts of the crowd (including us), I'd say that none of their fan base abandoned them for leaving the indie-rock world for the majors. The audience greeted every song with enthusiasm. And it was pretty neat to take the light rail home, seeing all the Death Cab fans crowding the train and discussing the show they'd just seen -- and the rapturous way they felt about it -- with the older passengers who were taking the ride home from McCaw Hall, where they'd just seen Paul Simon -- a show that left them all feeling just as rapturous. It really lifted my heart to pick up on the honest interest in the voices and the eyes of the older music lovers. They might not have been familiar with Death Cab, but none of them reared back and said, "Death Cab for what??" Come to think of it, I can hear a bit of Paul Simon in "I Will Follow You Into the Dark."

SETLIST:
Marching Bands of Manhattan
Soul Meets Body
Summer Skin
Different Names for the Same Thing
I Will Follow You Into the Dark
Your Heart Is an Empty Room
Someday You Will Be Loved
Crooked Teeth
What Sarah Said
Brothers on a Hotel Bed
Stable Song
I Will Possess Your Heart
The New Year
Why You'd Want to Live Here
No Sunlight
The Ghosts of Beverly Drive
Photo Booth
Cath
Here to Forever

ENCORE:
Title Track
Tiny Vessels
Transatlanticism

Nation of Language opened the show. I know they're familiar to a lot of this board's denizens, thanks inn part to Freak Out Radio. To us, they were a dead ringer for OMD, with a bit of Morrissey on a couple of their tracks. And at one point, when the mix focused more on bass guitar, from the second note my wife and I looked at each and both said, "New Order!" None of this commentary is meant to belittle the band, much less disparage them. We will definitely pop for tickets, next time this band comes through town.

I have seen DCfC only one time, and it was in Seattle too - Bumbershoot 2003, I think. A band I respect but never got much into.

Nation of Language, however, I can see why people my age are so psyched about, because it's a 21st century version of 1980s and 1990s synthpop and new wave. Their recent single, "Inept Apollo," is an instant winner.

Sounds like a good show. I listened to Plans a ton years ago, a bit of the follow up, then they pretty much fell off my radar. "Soul Meets Body," "Crooked Teeth" and "Summer Skin" are killer songs, the latter two containing really nice memorable bass lines. I think Chris Walla had something to do with that, but he's not in the band anymore I think. Maybe it's time for me to check out some of their later work.

Chris Walla was their producer as well as their guitarist, through their years on Barsuk. When the band signed to Atlantic, they made sure that the selection of their producer was kept up to them, so that Chris could continue in that role (as he did for their first three Atlantic albums). Eventually, though, whether through inevitable record label pressure or simply a desire to work with someone different, the band brought Rich Costey on board as the producer for Kintsugi. I guess the change must have affected the band rather deeply, because although Chris is on board for the recording (and although the album is up to their standard, IMO), the guitarist chose to leave the band when those sessions were done.