The Wake

“You know what I do? I connect. I get people off. I look for the one guy who isn’t getting off, and I make him get off” - Jason Lee in Almost Famous

To this end, I would like to personally thank Ben Gibbard (vocals) on behalf of the four couples in front of me for getting them off. They looked to really be enjoying sucking each others faces. In regards to this, I congratulate Death Cab for Cutie on a job well done. I admit that on Oct. 10, I went to see Ben Gibbard. But by the end of the first song, I realized that Death Cab is a group of musicians, each with something passionate to contribute to the music.

There have been some complaints lately about Death Cab signing with Atlantic Records, part of the Warner Entertainment group. This change is noticeable in things like their inclusion on “The O.C.” and the influx of silly teen fans. To those who hate on the progress of the band, I ask if their music has really changed or if they have become ungrateful to their fans. From what I have seen and heard, I lean towards congratulating Death Cab on their move upwards. I think they deserve it.

Australian and enthusiastic, Youth Group did the opening act trick. The lead singer decidedly resembled a cast member from “Revenge of the Nerds,” and the bassist and drummer were great. The weak link in the band was the guitar player, identifiable by his cowboy shirt and repetitive chords. Midway through the Youth Group experience, my companions and I were confronted with an obstacle. One enormously tall guy stood in front of me, who was soon joined by what was presumably his girlfriend, then proceeded to crush one of my friends against a railing in their furious cuddling. I think that something about First Avenue must just lure people into public fornication.

As they cleared out after the openers were finished, we were joined by new and more exciting friends: Dan the wrestler and his tall friend whose name we unfortunately missed. Although Dan proved himself to be useful for announcing the entrance of the bass into each song, he was not useful in terms of silence during slow songs or allowance of personal space.

Despite setbacks, I was in good spirits by the time Death Cab for Cutie showed up on stage, although I could not actually see them. With the couple out of the way and Dan in prime striking position, Death Cab opened up with “Marching Bands of Manhattan,” the first track of the new album, Plans. Reminiscent of the powerful sounds on Transatlanticism, “Marching Bands” filled up the venue and got the crowd going. The better part of the show was spent rocking out, as it were. From “Marching Bands” to “Crooked Teeth,” and of course “Sound of Settling,” Death Cab made a point to keep the crowd excited and dancing. This was when the lead singer, Ben Gibbard, managed to sweat an entire gallon of water and completely drench his shirt. The bass player, Nick Harmer, also let out a respectable amount of perspiration while he thrashed and rolled all over the stage. They both added an important element of excitement and energy to a show that had the potential to drag a little.

Somewhere between “The New Year” and “Brothers on a Hotel Bed,” an apparently underage, intoxicated individual let a little vomit out on the steps behind us. I didn’t notice until I smelled it, and turned around to discover my friend with little splashes of vomit in her hair. Hopefully, Dan the wrestler got some vomit as well. Later, as our photographer was working on getting a good shot, he wandered over to the steps and may or may not have actually sat in said vomit. Fortunately, it was cleaned up by the time we reached “What Sarah Said,” and I was able to refocus for the most depressing part of the concert. For those who don’t know, “What Sarah Said” is about waiting in a hospital lobby. The last line of the song is, “Love is watching someone die.” The chords faded, the crowd grew silent, and our good friend Dan let out his compulsory, “That’s some heavy shit.” That’s when the “shit” hit the fan. A guy near us plunged through the crowd, grabbed Dan, and subsequently threatened his life as well as his masculinity. Then we learned Dan’s history as a wrestler. As the chords for the next song began to ring out, things settled down and Dan stopped yelling as frequently.

The encore consisted of “I Will Follow You into the Dark,” “Movie Script Ending” and “Transatlanticism.” “Follow You” was played solo by Gibbard with his acoustic guitar. A few kids broke out their lighters and the crowd sang along softly to the only sweet song about dying I have ever heard—an impressive feat if you ask me. It seems impossible to be so romantic and loving about death, but somehow he does it, as though he is singing about a first kiss or a moonlight strollI highly recommend checking it out; track five on Plans.

The encore continued with “Transatlanticism.” I found it interesting that they chose to close the show on a more somber and mellow note. It worked surprisingly well, sobering up the crowd without killing the buzz of the show. It was during the last two songs that I fell in love with Chris Walla. His guitar playing hit a peak and showcased what tremendous talent the band has as a whole. It was careful and slow and deliberate, and dare I say it, very sexual (which I think we all secretly appreciate).

When the house lights came up and we walked out onto the street, I began to notice the satisfied faces on all of the fans. Whether it was a fellow college student who was glad that they played a few older songs, or a high school couple looking suspiciously fulfilled, I think that Death Cab offered up a little something special for each of their fans.