Oh Death Cab for Cutie, How I Enjoyed Thee

MacTroll and I had date night tonight. We went to the Assembly Hall and saw Death Cab for Cutie. For an emo band they were particularly lively. I mean seriously, the guy next to me was hopping around on his feet and I was rocking out... but as this is a band that has mastered the depressing love-gone-awry ballad (even when it's interjected with awesome guitar riffs). Most of their fans just sat -- staring. 

So you look at the floor in front of the stage expecting the 200 people there to be the life of the party. Nothing. They stood silent with their cameras up staring through the view finders. It was weird, particularly because this is a band from Seattle who grew up when I did -- during the times of Nirvana and Pearl Jam and the birth of the mosh pit. 

Maybe it was the fact that the concert started at 7:30 p.m. They were probably all still digesting their Gumby's pizza. Or maybe it was because the all-white crowd just didn't feel moved to shuffle their feet without a good half dozen shots of tequila first. But when Ben is about to play the Sound of Settling and has to tell the crowd that even though it's Sunday -- you've gotta dance to this song, you realize that even he understands the weirdness of it. 

Overall, it was a lively set. New and old songs combined. But my heart stomped up and down when they played Bixby Canyon Bridge as their last song (pre-encore). When they hit the guitar riffs, I went insanely happy. It couldn't have been loud enough. 

And I now realize who the Gap was making the skinny jeans for -- Chris Walla. You so can wear them. 

This was a show that was definitely worth the $34 a ticket and the $35 babysitter. We had a great time and clearly the guys from Death Cab are definitely earning their cash. The banter with the audience and each other was low as they went from song to song to song in the 2 hours they played. 

But when they did talk to the audience they were very grateful and subdued. Not ego freaks. Hard to get that from Ben wearing a plaid shirt and brown pants and Chris playing the whole set in dress pants, a dress shirt and a tie. Seriously! Nick, for some reason, really reminds me of Flea (which isn't a bad thing) when he plays.

I'll definitely go again, particularly if I can get the same kind of seats. Past the pit, we were fifth row center. We had an awesome view of the stage.