Review: Death Cab for Cutie

Above: Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie fills the City Market with the sound of indie rock. Photos by Keith Myers/The Star

The northern part of downtown got some much-needed love Friday night. Promoter AEG, which helps run the Power and Light District, including Spring Center, tossed the City Market a big bone: a show that brought many thousands of people into a restaurant/bar district whose reputation has been eclipsed recently by all the glitter and glitz going on about 12 blocks south on Grand Boulevard.

Death Cab for Cutie headlined the event, the first in the "Buzz Under the Stars" music series, sponsored by radio station KRBZ (96.5 FM). One evening after many thousands packed the P&L District for a free country-music show, even more paid about $25 (give or take) to see four indie-rock bands.

The place was packed but not full; if the show wasn't sold-out, it was close. I'd guess around 8,000 people showed up on a night when the weather couldn't have been better. The music was good, too.

I arrived in time to catch the Kooks, the second of the four bands but one that a lot of people came to hear. (The Morning Benders opened.)

The Kooks are from Brighton, England (they got their name from a Bowie song), and it shows: Their sound is a mix of British Invasion pop and post-punk/new wave and garage-revival so they sound a little like a lot of bands old and new: the Kinks, the early Police, the Arctic Monkeys, the Strokes. It's all engaging: Short, hard pop tunes with firm, bouncy grooves and bright melodies.

The Buzz plays this band, which probably explains why so many people seemed familiar with their songs (and their lyrics). A few of the better moments: "Matchbox," the irresistible "Ooh La," "Sofa Song" and "She Moves In Her Own Way," from the "Inside In/Outside Out" album, and "Mr. Maker" from this year's "Konk" album.

Rogue Wave was served next, as a palate-cleanser and transition from the Kooks' manic pop tunes to Death Cab's epic indie ballads and anthems. Rogue Wave is from Oakland, Calif.; its name is also a term for a spontaneous "monster wave" that erupts deep in the ocean, like a sudden, seismic sneeze -- which doesn't describe their music even slightly.

Rogue Wave is a traditional indie-band, with alternative roots that go back to R.E.M., Sebadoh and Yo La Tengo but include more contemporary artists, like Elliott Smith, the Shins or (a little) Built to Spill.

The City Market wasn't the ideal setting for this band, especially in front of a crowd that was mostly indifferent, at best; a smaller setting, like the Uptown would have been better. Even so, "Eyes" sounded good. Others, like "Harmonium," a newer song, didn't translate as well.

The clock had already struck 10 p.m. by the time Death Cab took the stage. They are touring off a new album, "Narrow Stairs," which was the best-selling album in the United States the week it was released. A spot on the charts among George Strait and Madonna can be a kiss-of-death for an indie band, but the actual numbers were relatively modest: about 144,000 copies sold. No blood, no foul.

They did nearly half of "Stairs," including "No Sunlight," "Cath" and "I Will Possess Your Heart," which prompted some singing-along. The bigger moments, though, came when they played older, more familiar tunes, especially "Soul Meets Body" and "I Will Follow You Into the Dark," a tender folk-ballad that sounds like "Hey There Delilah" with a literary upgrade. The crowd took over that one, which seemed to warm Ben Gibbard's heart.

Live, Death Cab sounds more dynamic than it does on record, especially when it kicks out a few jams, like the big, heavy intro to "Possess Your Heart." The instrumentals aren't progressive by any means, but they are dynamic and they introduce some muscle and bone into the band's sound. And in a venue that is large and demands some heft out its bands, Gibbard sounded (surprisingly?) strong.

The show lasted about 15 minutes short of two hours, and before Death Cab had finished with "Transatlanticism," the crowd was less than two-thirds its largest size and people were flooding out of the gates. In fact, all night the mood in the place was less-than-fervent. In the area directly in front of stage, where the early-birds and devotees had staked out prime views since 6 p.m., the scene looked more rabid than it was in back, where there was rampant inattentiveness and lots of talking.

You'd think a $25 admission would weed out most of the part-time/fair-weather listeners, but maybe the headliner wasn't the big attraction. Maybe some people just wanted to revisit an entertainment district that has lost some panache but still deserves lots of attention.

| Timothy Finn, The Star

Death Cab set list: Bixby Canyon Bridge; The New Year; Why You'd Want to Live Here; Photobooth; Crooked Teeth; Long Division; Grapevine Fires; A Movie Script Ending; Company Calls/Epilogue; Soul Meets Body; I Will Follow You Into the Dark; I Will Possess Your Heart; Cath; The Sound of Settling; Marching Bands of Manhattan. Encore: Title and Registration; No Sunlight; Styrofoam Plates; Tiny Vessels; Transatlanticism.

Comments

[nickthenerd]

I'd have to agree with the comments about the crowd.

The crowd definitely gets an F on this one. Like you mentioned, I'm not sure why folks would show up and talk rather than listen to the music.

During the intro (non-radio version) to 'I Will Possess Your Heart' there was continuous chatting and disinterest in the songs/band. That was probably the most annoying issue of the entire night.

Luckily, for the rest of us, the fair-weather radio fans left shortly after 'I Will Possess Your Heart' was over. Unfortunately it didn't take them all away though as we still had several groups that had decided to stay, talk, and giggle about getting drunk or being stupid the rest of the weekend.

I do give props to the bands that had to deal with such a terrible crowd by not reacting by either cutting off their set early and/or playing half-hearted.

I thought Death Cab did a great job playing, with only a minor mic problem. It is far too common to go to a concert where the lead singer either doesn't get back to the mic in time to sing part of the song or that the mix is completely off and the band fights it all night long.

[matt]

I agree, although I was in the mix of the more devoted listeners. Also, the author neglected to add two songs to the setlist: Company Calls (played right before Company Calls Epilogue) and We Laugh Indoors.

[Nate Williams]

It was great show. The whole line up was fantastic. I love the fact that Death Cab didn't just sing songs off their new album.

[cb]

Great review--pretty much spot-on. I don't like standing in the mob up front, but was so annoyed with the lack of interest/shananagins in the back that I came to this conclusion:the venue is not very good. Compared to the area's other outdoor arenas, this one felt more like a carnaval than a concert. The junky jewelry being sold there, a Marine recruiter booth complete with pull-up bar, etc.? If I want to enjoy live music and not be bothered by a bunch of disinterested loud drunk morons, I will stick with the Uptown.

[cb]

Forgot to add the sound quality for me seemed very muffled, especially during Death Cab's set. Am I crazy, or did anyone else notice this? I moved around a few times too trying to get away for the Westport crowds.

Also one more complaint about City Market as a venue; parking.

The show was great though, and I enjoyed the bands, just wish the atmosphere would have been a bit different.

[Tim Finn]

The sound is always an issue at City Market. When I stood looking directly at (perpendicular to) the stage, I thought it sounded OK/good. In back, especially underneath the market stalls, it was muddy, though. It's a great public venue, but an average music venue, especially for big shows.
Parking will always be an issue. I got down there around 5:15 and snagged one of the last spots I could find in a four-block radius. Lots of people told me they parked south of I-70.

The setlist should read "Company Calls/Epilogue" (to signify both) and I have nothing in my notes about "Indoors," but I got distracted a few times and could have forgotten to write it down (wouldn't be the first time).

[Andrew Hunt]

Hi, Tim.
I don't know if you would remember me but, I worked with you, Mike Webber, Corky Carrol(?), Gary Christian, Ed (God, I miss him) and others at Caper's Corner with, the seemingly too evil to die, Ben Ashner back in the late 70's/early 80's. His favorite thing to say to customers?
"Come back, when you have more money! (har-har-har)"
You and me had us a road trip to Lawrence to see some band or other and I recall listening to cassettes by Echo And The Bunnymen, a band that you were quite fond of.
If my hazy memory serves me well, Caper's was the first place to have automated ticket sales (Capitol Tickets?) back then, which lead to the abominable Ticketmaster.
If you are, indeed, the right Tim, please feel free to e-mail me back or post here.
I'll check in every once in a while.
Take care,
Andrew Hunt

[Andrew Hunt]

Oops! Wrong Tim! Sorry, dude.
Still...nice place you have here.
Good thing I happen to like "DCFC". Otherwise...*gulp*

[Tim Finn]

Not the same Tim. But I know Mike Webber (in an epistolary way), and I know Corky and Bill (I even shopped at at Village Records a few times before it went virtual).

[mark]

An apathetic crowd except for the radio songs is par for the course with the 96.5 crowd.

Hell even the person who wrote the review didn't show up until the show was a quarter of the way over or more.

[Tim Finn]

The show lasted about 5 hours. I was at the stage around 7:25 p.m. Hell, without a calculator, even my math-deficient brain knows a quarter of 5 hours isn't 25 minutes. (I could hear the Morning Benders while in line at the gate and caught their last song while was in, but didn't hear enough to write about.)

[Jake]

I skipped this show for two reasons. #1 - I've seen DCFC and their live show leaves a lot to be desired. #2 - I chose to support local music and had the pleasure of witnessing what is sure to become one of KC's best exports: FOUR STAR DAYDREAM! This local original act is a cross between Black Crowes and Ryan Adams and they blew the roof off of Mike's Tavern. Had this band hit the stage at the City Market instead, the 8,000+ in attendance would have been too busy dancing and singing...instead of standing around chatting. SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL MUSICIANS! FOUR STAR DAYDREAM HAS SHOWS COMING UP AT THE RIOT ROOM (FORMERLY THE HURRICANE)....AND THE STUDIO (LOCATED DOWNTOWN). Note to Tim Finn: Love your column, web site, etc...and appreciate the reviews of these "bigger" acts, but would love to see more coverage of local talent. FOUR STAR DAYDREAM is ready for your spotlight.

[Tim Finn]

Noted. Thanks for the tip. It would be nice, too, if the Buzz, which does a great job playing local bands, could persuade the promoters to book local acts to open these shows.

[Josh]

I have to disagree with Jake on DCFC's live show. This was my third time seeing them, and their live show always blows me away. It's surprisingly more of a rock show than you expect from that genre of music.