The days and hours leading up to Death Cab For Cutie’s concert at CMAC on July 18 were like scenes from a Bible story. Was there a plague descending upon the land? First it was the smoke from the Canadian wildfires forcing most outdoor activity to be cancelled. Then it was the rains. Streets flooded during the day Saturday. Thunder rumbled for hours on end. Tornado force winds ripped through surrounding areas throwing leaves and branches everywhere and left many trees laying flat on the ground. Whether smoke or near-black clouds, an eternal dusk-like darkness had consumed much of the days.
This is not painting an ideal picture for an outdoor summer concert. But the rain let up with almost perfect timing. Someone’s prayers clearly were heard. With only a 30 minute delay to the doors opening, the show would go on as scheduled. And it did, without a hitch. Except the hitch the entire audience would attach to Death Cab For Cutie’s wagon for what would be a thrilling ride along their endless songbook.
The evening kicked off with Japanese Breakfast, the indie-rock entity fronted by Michelle Zauner. Opening with “Paprika” off their 2021 breakout Jubilee, Zauner took to the light-up gong commanding center stage. She whacked it in rhythm, with lights flashing in sync. Was this the shaman-istic ritual that held off the weather for the next few hours? As Zauner sang: “How’s it feel to be at the center of magic / To linger in tones and words? / I opened the floodgates / And found no water, no current, no river, no rush.”
For the next 40 minutes she lead her sextet, including saxophone, violin, keys, drums, guitars and bass, spreading an even mix of old and new over the short set. “Be Sweet” was announced as the hit, and it’s catchy hooks certainly grabbed the growing crowd. But the older “Diving Woman” was radiant in the closing slot, a bopping disco groove provided space for the full band to contribute to a tidy rock out that reached a satisfying peak, ringing out and lingering as they and their equipment were whisked away to make room for the main event. Zauner reminisced that she had seen Death Cab For Cutie on their Transatlanticism tour over 20 years ago, one of her first concerts. A full circle moment. Who in the crowd might continue the arc two decades into the future?
It had been ten years since Death Cab For Cutie last played the CMAC stage. Lead man Ben Gibbard was wholly aware of this fact and made sure to properly apologize and make amends. But also, as he explained, they came to promote their new album, I Built You a Tower, fresh off the press at only a month old. The set opened with the new “Riptides” but from there they didn’t dwell too much there, with just a handful from the release. And with a book of songs as rich as they have, it was no wonder. So, like Japanese Breakfast, they too spanned their full career in their set choices.
Large striped screens lined the back of the stage, showing generally distressed videos. They gave each song a sense of being part of an old music video. At one point it event seemed like the band might turn into sketches of themselves a la A-ha’s “Take On Me.” “The New Year” featured appropriate fireworks, but otherwise they remained more artsy and abstract. Grungy shooting lines matched the slashing and scratchy guitar work in “Punching the Flowers.” Ominous purples and pinks with lightning-like strikes punctuated the deep synthesizer moans and melodic electric piano runs. Visuals that may have hit too close for this weather-weary audience.
The band kept the variety coming all night. After complaining that the front end of the stage was keeping the audience too far away, Gibbard later bridged that gap as a crooning front man. He pranced about, mic in hand, belting out the lyrics to “Trap Door” off the new album. The dynamism was on full display during a mid show pairing. First, “I Will Possess Your Heart” rode it’s extended intro, driving along the repetitive groove until guitarist Dave Depper broke free with some eclectic shredding. Gibbard banged away on the piano at the rear of the stage, perfectly pouncing on his vocal entry. He eventually jumped back onto guitar to join in on the song’s noisy rock out finish.
They immediately followed that with Gibbard performing “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” solo on acoustic guitar, accompanied by thousands of voices singing along to every word, way before they were invited.
The audience got another opportunity to join the band on the set-closing “Soul Meets Body,” proudly adding the signature “bahs.”
Sometimes music is a call to arms, sometimes it is a magical escape. Death Cab For Cutie and Japanese Breakfast provided the Finger Lakes with the latter, ending a week without much sun to speak of with a bright light of happiness shining down from the “too big” stage.
Setlists
Death Cab For Cutie
Riptides, Roman Candles, The New Year, Punching the Flowers, The Ghosts of Beverly Drive, Black Sun, I Built You a Tower (a), Photobooth, Pep Talk, Codes and Keys, I Will Possess Your Heart, I Will Follow You Into the Dark, Stone Over Water, How Heavenly a State, Cath…, Crooked Teeth, Trap Door, You Are a Tourist, Here to Forever, Soul Meets Body
Encore: Your Bruise, We Laugh Indoors, Tiny Vessels, Transatlanticism
Japanese Breakfast
Paprika, Honey Water, Road Head, Picture Window, The Body Is a Blade, Mega Circuit, Kokomo, IN, Be Sweet, Diving Woman
