Live Review: Death Cab For Cutie

All us sad girls converged on the Sydney Opera House on Monday night, still full of the hormones and feelings we had as teens. And still swooning over Death Cab For Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard. 

Gibbard somehow looked even younger and better looking than he did when he appeared on The OC at the band’s indie zenith in the early ‘00s, probably because the dude lives a healthy, ultrarunner lifestyle now, but he still has his signature sideswept fringe, black button-down, skinny jeans and a matching wrist sweat band. The cuff is probably why his fringe didn't end up soaked in sweat; he was constantly wiping his forehead throughout the set, his fringe blown back by strategically placed fans on the stage. It’s tempting to write this review about the intricate movements of Gibbard’s bangs, which seemed to show as much emotion as the crowd and the man himself during climactic moments. 

His full band entered the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall bathed in blue, which seemed fitting, opening the set with I Dreamt We Spoke Again and Summer Years from last year’s Thank You For Today. The track was one of many from the new record that felt fleshed out on stage, as opposed to on the record, especially unexpected high point 60 & Punk. They fit seamlessly with a mix of old and newer songs, all with Gibbard’s crisp vocals and lyrics dripping with vivid imagery. It’s the hypervulnerability of those lyrics that draws people to Death Cab – Gibbard giving words to feelings that are difficult to describe, or that we often shy away from. 

But what really impressed in their live set, was the shimmering instrumentals and breakdowns on beloved tracks like Crooked Teeth, What Sarah Said, I Will Possess Your Heart, Expo ’86 and We Looked Like Giants. Part of the emotional punch was in the way the music unfurled in those moments – during encore closer Transatlanticism it was hard not to feel your body jolt and jerk; we were physically moved by it. These moments were all led by Gibbard, sometimes letting loose behind the piano or standing with his hands behind his back centrestage, but were given texture by his bandmates, Nick Harmer on bass, and new members Dave Depper on guitar and Zac Rae on keys, and given shape and structure by Jason McGerr’s pounding drums. 

Of course it’s Death Cab For Cutie’s ‘00s songs that had the audience on their feet – something Gibbard gave us permission to do before Kintsugi’s The Ghosts Of Beverly Drive: “This is a rock show. If you feel like standing up and moving around by all means do it, you have our permission.” Songs like Title & Registration, Long Division, A Movie Script Ending and Soul Meets Body were sped up and elongated to keep them fresh and interesting – probably more for the band than for the audience – as Gibbard paced on the spot or turned away to duel with Harmer.  

The crowd stayed standing for the encore, with Gibbard taking to the stage alone with an acoustic guitar for the inevitable I Will Follow You Into The Dark singalong. The grandeur of the Concert Hall fit the haunting moment, before the rest of Death Cab returned for one last cut from Thank You For Today, When We Drive. We were still on our feet for the evocative and brutal Tiny Vessels before feeling the urge to thrash around during Transatlanticism, which became all the more impactful thanks to bursts of horizontal light across the stage, as the refrain “I need you so much closer…” rang out into the night.