From the very beginning of Death Cab for Cutie‘s set at City Market on Monday night it was obvious that Death Cab has only sweetened with age. The mix of tweens (with their parent accompaniment), the typical Kansas City concertgoers, and those just looking to be ‘Followed into the Dark’ made for a crowd that seemed unsure as to what to do when the music started. The opening song “I Will Possess Your Heart” made this all the more obvious. The elongated intro (as compared to the radio edit) left the casual Death Cab fan slightly confused, but for the avid music listener it built the perfect tension that would soon be released in a two hour set of Death Cab’s finest.
It would seem to be the norm in this day in age that when you are touring right after an album release, especially one as notable as Codes and Keys, you would tend to play mainly songs from that album, this was not the case with Death Cab for Cutie. It wasn’t until their fifth song they decided to introduce a track from their new album “Doors Unlocked and Open,” and did so to an enthusiastic crowd. In all, Death Cab only played five songs, out of twenty-three, from their most recent release. Those five were matched by five from Transatlanticism and another five from Plans and even included one track from their first release You Can play These Songs With Chords.
The most impressive part of the show for me was the reserve that Death Cab has. Their sound was flawless, never overplaying, and not like most Rock n’ Roll shows where you have a ringing in your ears for weeks. The one word that stayed in my mind from the entire experience was tasteful, Death Cab is always tasteful. Not even a two-drummer drum solo got out of hand, their lights only added to the atmosphere of City Market and never took away, they sounded exactly like you would hope they would, almost as if you were listening to their records at home with your 5,000 closest friends. Don’t get me wrong, they played their hearts out, but it seems as though they have perfected their craft to the point that they know what needs to be done, they know how to keep a crowd enthralled, they know how to appease old fans and new, and most importantly they know when to stop.
Setlist:
I Will Possess Your Heart
Crooked Teeth
We Laugh Indoors
A Movie Script Ending
Doors Unlocked and Open
Long Division
Grapevine Fires
Codes and Keys
What Sarah Said
I Will Follow You into the Dark
Title and Registration
You Are a Tourist
The New Year
President of What?
Company Calls
Some Boys
Soul Meets Body
Cath…
We Looked Like Giants
The Sound of Settling
Encore:
Brothers on a Hotel Bed
Stay Young, Go Dancing
Transatlanticism
Wayne Zimmerman contributed to this review
photos by Casey Osburn
