Any show at Bowery Ballroom is a treat. It’s the best place to see a show in New York City, without a doubt. There’s not a bad view in the house, and the sound is the best that you can get. What else could you ask for? Maybe like seeing a little old band named Death Cab For Cutie play there.
Death Cab could surely sell out much larger places, yet they decided to grace the 550 or so lucky fans at Bowery Ballroom last night. It was a special treat to see a band at their level so modestly rocking out at the tiny stage at Bowery Ballroom. They didn’t leave anything back, and I gained a ton of respect for them for just how much they gave to us last night.
Openers The Lonely Forest hail from Washington, just like Death Cab. They had that Washington sound of anthematic indie guitar rock that was enjoyable enough. Chris Walla produced their new album, Arrows. Some songs started blending in together, but there were a few songs that I found myself digging. Their lead singer had a thing for sticking his tongue out while singing. Would love to know if he notices that he does it – quite frequently.
Death Cab came on a little after 10 p.m. and finished about ten after midnight. Death Cab have become one of the more familiar names in modern rock, and are certainly big enough that they don’t have to worry about pleasing anyone but themselves. They didn’t need to play for over two hours (with a very, very, brief break before the encore). They didn’t need to make a carefully crafted setlist with standouts spanning from the top to the bottom of their deep catalog. But Death Cab For Cutie don’t seem like the type of band that take things for granted. They seemed sincerely happy to be playing an intimate show, and it was refreshing to see.
What impressed me the most was how diverse their set was. They reach back to the depths of their back catalog and brought forth many of their early delights that helped make the band who they are. If you’re a fan of the band, you can’t help but smile to hear the band playing “Styrofoam Plates”, “Company Calls”, and “405″. It’s also a pleasure to hear “The Sound Of Settling”, “Cath…”, and latest single “You Are A Tourist” in the flesh. But what really did it for me was the more intimate ventures that showed incredible strength at Bowery Ballroom. “I Will Follow You Into The Dark” & “Title And Registration” were pitch perfect, and the intimate setting only played to their favor. There’s no arguing against the epic finale of “Transatlanticism” either. A few tears were probably shed somewhere in the ballroom.
If you go into a Death Cab for Cutie concert thinking it’s just a bunch of their light acoustic songs, you’re going be in for a surprise. For example, the severely under appreciated “I Will Possess Your Heart” is an absolute monster live. Last night’s performance not only proved to me that Death Cab are a pretty diverse band, but they know how bring it live. I don’t know if I can ever see them again outside of Bowery Ballroom because it just won’t be the same. But that’s alright, last night cannot be reciprocated.
Some Photos:
Check out some live videos of the show that I found on youtube, after the jump:
The Sound Of Settling:
405:
Codes And Keys:
