Review by NOTES FROM VIVACE
LOS ANGELES – Death Cab for Cutie celebrated the release of “I Built You A Tower,” their 11th studio album, by spending their summer touring the United States.
That included a two-night run at the Greek Theatre. As the band entered the stage, the crowd stood to greet the band. The indie rock band did not hesitate playing their new material for their fan base. They opened up the night with “Riptides,” which was one of their pre-release singles.
Their song “The New Year” shook the ground. They went poetic with “Black Sun.” The ending was punctuated with vocal beats. For “What Sarah Said,” lead singer Ben Gibbard took to the keyboards. It was a quiet moment for him to grab a well deserved sip of water. The song ended with a fading volume that was replaced by cheering fans, “Thank you, very much.“
“I Will Follow You into the Dark” had Gibbard’s band mates exit the stage. An anticipation built from the very first acoustic guitar chord. Everyone knew what was next. He led the crowd in singing the chorus, adding an extra round just so that no one would feel cheated. “I Will Possess Your Heart” had a pounding opening that just built up the suspension that was only resolved with the song’s lyrics.
You guys are OGs, I get it.
It was mentioned that “Grapevine Fires” was written at Forest Lawn Cemetery. “How Heavenly A State” started out with a light show that formed white doors, as if the gates of heaven were opening wide. “Crooked Teeth” seemed so appropriately timed. Los Angeles was at the end of a long heat wave and the opening lyrics were “It was 100 degrees.” The song had the fans bobbing. The band ended the set with “Soul Meets Body” and Gibbard exited the stage by raising his guitar upright with his right arm.
“I’m really happy this is going well tonight . . . Los Angeles thanks for being so kind.”
The crowd obviously wanted their encores and the band came back to the stage for an additional four songs. “Transatlanticism” ended the night and had one thinking of the creation of the universe. The venue filled with the sounds of fans clapping along that matched the beat of the heart.
It was a night where Death Cab for Cutie gave a performance filled with the energy of a newly inspired band.
Setlist: Riptides, Roman Candles, The New Year, Punching the Flowers, The Ghosts of Beverly Drive, Black Sun, I Built You A Tower (a), Company Calls, Pep Talk, What Sarah Said, I Will Follow You into the Dark, I Will Possess Your Heart, Grapevine Fires, Stone Over Water, How Heavenly A State, Cath…, Crooked Teeth, Trap Door, You Are a Tourist, Soul Meets Body. Encores: Champaign from a Broken Cup, We Laugh Indoors, The Sound of Settling, Transatlanticism.
Death Cab for Cutie performs at Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle in September, and European, Japan and Australia dates here.
Check out ‘I Built You A Tower’ here:
