As Death Cab For Cutie grace the stage at the Astoria, the sense of anticipation is tangible. They play the first notes of their set and a feeling of warmth towards the band exudes from everyone present. The unassuming Death Cab proceed gracefully through the rest of their setlist, rightfully basking in the warm glow that their music conjures from the crowd.
‘Marching Bands of Manhattan’ is the opener and Ben Gibbard’s hauntingly smooth voice floats angelically over the higher notes, whilst a look of wonderment washes over people’s faces. Despite the general lo-fi feeling of the evening and Death Cab’s music in general, the band are really putting on a performance. They rock out to the simplicity of a weaving guitar riff in ‘The New Year’, bringing with them a sort of gentle yet driving indie-rock revolution.
In ‘Soul Meets Body’, Gibbard sings out ‘…a melody softly soaring through my atmosphere’ and it strikes me that this could easily be a description of his voice gliding through the atmosphere of the Astoria. ‘Different Names For The Same Thing’ is the most Postal-Service-sounding song tonight as the keyboard kicks in and a giddy intensity gradually builds to dizzying heights. As well as the keyboard utilisation, some subtly beautiful guitar effects are put to great use. ‘What Sarah Said’ features a heart melting strip down to organ chords and a pulsating drum beat.
‘The Sound Of Settling’ provides a comparatively upbeat ending to Death Cab’s official set for tonight. However, Ben comes back onstage to treat us to a rendition of the heart-achingly melancholy ‘I Will Follow You Into The Dark’.
Death Cab For Cutie is absolutely rock solid live, yet the members’ creative sensibilities seem to be heightened by the whole experience. This means that a truly beautiful show is expertly crafted with care and precision, to the delight of the crowd.
