For those not in the know, Death Cab For Cutie has always seemed like a wimpy band. The “Death Cab” part sounds cool and sinister, but the “For Cutie” part? Being promoted on prime-time soap opera The O.C.? And the whiny-voiced frontman is now married to the Queen of Cutesy, actress and singer Zooey Deschanel?
But believe it or not, Death Cab For Cutie is a rock band: a real, living, breathing, head-bobbing rock band. They’re not Slayer. They’re not even Pearl Jam. And yet, the foursome from Seattle rocked considerably hard for their reputation as softies when the group performed at a well-attended Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia on Sunday.
The group began the show with the undeniable groove of “I Will Possess Your Heart.” The live performance of “I Will Possess Your Heart” elevates the song far past its limited existence as recorded sound on the band’s 2008 album Narrow Stairs. Live, the song is a force of nature, and the performance at Merriweather rightly prepared the crowd for a night of engaging music.
Even better was the set’s second song, one of Death Cab For Cutie’s bouncier ditties, “Crooked Teeth.” On the song’s ultra-catchy chorus, frontman Ben Gibbard claimed, “You can’t find nothing at all/ if there was nothing there all along.”
Though the venue seemed to be nearly full, most of the audience in the pavilion was content to experience the concert sitting down. The danceable (or at least sway-able) nature of many of the group’s best tunes didn’t merit this, and the sitters missed out on the pleasure of body movement.
A sit-down attitude might have been encouraged by the night’s very high temperature and the air’s very thick humidity. Gibbard even joked he might vomit and asked the crowd if hallucinating was a normal effect of the area’s weather.
And even though Gibbard’s banter may have reinforced a few too-harsh weakling stereotypes, the music was at the other end of the spectrum. Often moody, Death Cab For Cutie’s songs were brooding without being depressing. They were emotional but not devastating. It can be difficult to pull this balancing act off, but the group did it well.
Despite the lack of audience members on their feet (though there certainly was a strong contingent of standing fans), almost every ticket-holder seemed to sing along to each word of every song. This was especially pronounced on “I Will Follow You into the Dark,” which Gibbard performed alone onstage, with just an acoustic guitar.
Already a pretty song, the thousands of backing vocals Gibbard received highlighted the affecting emotions of the song.
“If Heaven and Hell decide/ That they both are satisfied/ Illuminate the NOs on their vacancy signs/ If there’s no one beside you/ When your soul embarks/ Then I’ll follow you into the dark,” Gibbard and his many fans sang.
“I Will Follow You into the Dark” began the best portion of the concert, the middle of the show. “Title and Registration” followed, which was followed by “You Are a Tourist,” the surprisingly excellent single from Death Cab For Cutie’s enjoyable new album, Codes and Keys. Its addictive guitar lick is the main attraction, and the post-punk arpeggio was showed off in fine form on Sunday.
Perhaps the band’s best song was next: “The New Year,” from Transatlanticism, now a classic record of the indie-rock mainstream. “The New Year” may be Death Cab For Cutie’s best song just because of the simple clarity of Gibbard’s lyrics. “So this is the New Year/ And I don’t feel any different,” he sang at Merriweather, touching the nearly 19,000 hearts in attendance as he did.
Death Cab For Cutie’s music strikes an emotive chord, and Gibbard’s words often take center stage. His lyrics typically speak on feelings of the heart, which pairs so wonderfully with the band’s music.
So maybe Death Cab For Cutie is a bit soft. That’s not such a bad thing.
rhiggins@umdbk.com
