A honing missile rarely misses its target. Death Cab for Cutie’s sound rarely misses the heart. The band has made a name for itself by creating some of the most buttery-covered, sentiment-filled projectiles of sound to have graced the airwaves in the past 10 years. Their performance at the Aragon Ballroom, besides hitting this sweet spot, also showcased their ability to simply rock and inspire a few sing-along anthems. As vocally hook-heavy and strangely comforting as Ben Gibbard’s voice is on radio, crooning away gently about lost loves and revealed sad truths, the quartet produced a slightly different version of themselves to their fans.
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Death Cab for Cutie with Ra Ra Riot and Cold War Kids
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 Entertainment
 Art
Aragon Ballroom
Chicago, IL
April 17, 2009
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This came as a welcome sign of the band’s musical abilities, and was in a similar sonic vein to their late March release, The Open Door E.P. Both showcased mountains and valleys of sound; they weren’t afraid to turn up the volume, but did not totally abandon their sunny sensibilities.
Openers from Death Cab’s previous indie label Barsuk, Ra Ra Riot, sprinkled some sugar on the audience via a few hits, including “Can You Tell”, with violinist Rebecca Zeller jumping joyfully. Cold War Kids added a bluesy touch with “I’ve Seen Enough” and “Hospital Beds”, adding the stomper “Something Is Not Right With Me”. The amount of musical depth, beyond a college campus favorite, that these two bands have, can be argued. But the function of prepping the audience for the main course ahead was carried out flawlessly.
The house was packed by the time Death Cab came on, and the Spanish-style ballroom gave the impression of an open air 15th century town square with its hanging castle towers and Gothic architecture. The people were ready for the show, for this archetype of modern day popular music. The opener, “Marching Bands of Manhattan” did the trick of quelling the sound-hungry crowd, starting with Gibbard singing, “If I could open my eyes…” Oldie but goody “President of What?” from their debut Something About Airplanes came as an early bridge between the Death Cab of today and their indie label selves, fresh and eager-to-please.
This song was probably relieving proof to fans that the guys can still rock. Last year’s Narrow Stairs and 2005’s gem Plans mellowed down their sound to attract a wider audience after signing with major label Atlantic. Luckily for fans, the band spent the night adding spice to their sound and did not display a sleep-inducing sameness that gently crops up in their songs. The Open Door’s “I Was Once a Loyal Lover” exemplified this spirited sprint, bouncily progressing into “No Sunlight” from Stairs.
“I Will Possess Your Heart” came in with a deliberate bass line, full of darkness to be shifted to light with the help of rhythmic clapping from onlookers. This was quite a shaker, and won over many with its pathos. “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” sent everyone a-singin’ to what is already a classic for fans. This was arguably the most memorable and joyously collective moment of the evening; it was the time to break out the lighters and sway dreamily. The tune’s magic even struck a chord with an attendee who didn’t fit into the mostly 18-24 demographic. A middle-aged man stood looking at the stage with an appreciating smile, likely thinking, that “These kids’ music aint so bad after all.”
“The Sound of Settling” produced bursts of “Pa pa, pa pa…” from all, and “Bixby Canyon Bridge” ended the show on a note similar to the intro – a lengthy start to build tension, a second-to-none vocal entry and a fade-out to remember. “Soul Meets Body” rounded out a four-song encore, adding extra sunshine via stage lights.
Death Cab for Cutie can be characterized as a band that ends on optimistic tones, and with the summer looming in Chi town, these musicians coming from the rainy dreariness of Seattle certainly instilled a soundtrack for brighter days.
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