If you listened to our last podcast you know that I just finished a whirlwind set of live shows. When I bought all of these tickets I didn’t make the connection that I would basically have to move into my car for three weeks while Jeremiah and I carted ourselves back and forth from venue to venue.

I have seen Death Cab for Cutie play before and I always said I would love to see them again. The crowd always has such a reverence and fondness for that band that I haven’t seen at almost any other show. I don’t know if it has to do with their longevity or just the fact that their fanbase is a little bit older and more chill, but the vibes at a Death Cab show are sublime.

This tour in particular was special because it was the 20th anniversary of the release of two albums: Transatlanticism, arguably the favorite album of DCFC fans, and Give Up by The Postal Service, arguably one of the most important albums of the mid’00s indie scene. When it comes to Death Cab, I’m a Plans gal myself but that’s a discussion for another time. The other thing that immediately drew me to grabbing a pair of tickets was the headliner was The Postal Service, playing Give Up in its entirety. When I saw the announcement I simply couldn’t let it pass by. The idea of hearing such iconic albums was too much for me to handle. I’m also a big Jenny Lewis fan, so the idea of seeing her play as well was icing on top.

The opener was an explosive performance from Lauren Mayberry, and I ended up finding out later that she is in the indie pop band Chvrches, and the way she felt very familiar to me that night made sense after that. She performed plenty of her own solo tunes and brought down the house with a cover of Madonna’s “Like A Prayer”. She was energetic and just enough outside of the vein of what was to come that it was both fresh and a seamless transition once Death Cab got on stage.

In between the sets, I saw a friend in the merch line and he asked whether I was there for Death Cab or The Postal Service, and I confidently said Death Cab, but in truth I was excited for both. I knew I would be able to sing along to the entirety of Transatlanticism, and I was excited to hear a new iteration of Give Up. I’ve always been impressed with how both albums were released in the same year but have such different creative directions. The duality of man, as they say. I played Give Up in the car on the way since Jeremiah had never heard it and he hated it. I was insulted and so was Kiel.

Death Cab came on next, and hearing Transatlanticism back to front was heaven on earth of course. I felt like the only person vibing in my section but then again I’ve always felt things too deeply. When I first saw them they played “Expo ‘86” in the set which is my favorite song from the album but hearing “Tiny Vessels” and “We Looked Like Giants” was just one of the experiences that was immediately worth the hour trip. 

The Postal Service finished out the night with Give Up, and everyone finally warmed up and partied hard. Jeremiah even ended up enjoying the set due to the addition of live drums courtesy of Ben Gibbard. The production was seamless, the lights were sick, and the sound was well balanced and the venue fit both bands well. We had floor seats and it was awesome to be on the same level as the bands but just removed enough to really see the big picture, something I feel like can get missed with pit seats.

As we were walking out after, Jeremiah said he liked Give Up better with modernized drums but I think one of the charms of the album is that it sounds like 2003. I consider Transatlanticism to be timeless, but I consider Give Up to be a time capsule. All in all, the night was truly a celebration and an incredible way to honor two great projects.

by Nadia Alves

Nadia Alves has been a music enthusiast since she can remember. Going to shows is her main pastime. The other is being upset when she can’t go to shows. This is her first official venture into writing about music. You can follow her on Twitter.