Concert Review: Death Cab for Cutie at Iron City

Touring in support of their latest album, Asphalt Meadows, Death Cab for Cutie have not slowed down at all in recent years. This is the band's first show in The Magic City in nearly four years, and their return was packed to the gills. The show sold out last year, less than a month after tickets went on sale. This was a small room for the Grammy Award nominees, but that didn't seem to have any effect on the action.

Indie rockers Momma hit the stage as direct support. Since their 2022 release Household Name, the band has been touring relentlessly, likely to live up to the aforementioned album's title. Scuzzy guitars, tight drumming, and deep bass riffs define the band's sound, overlayed with moody vocals with tons of indie flavor. Their songs had an unexpected catchiness about them, sneaking their way into your ear and sticking around. Momma is certainly an act to keep your eye on.

Now over a quarter of a century into their career, Death Cab for Cutie have defined a legacy. You go into a Death Cab show with high expectations, you expect every single song to sound flawless. This show met those expectations. The band sounded as youthful as ever, perfectly recreating songs that were upwards of twenty years old. There was a vigor about their performance, the quintet never let off the gas, with very little 'dead air' between songs. Their stage presence was spot on, with every member of the band being fully engaged and visibly enjoying themselves. The band simultaneously felt more matured, their years of touring experience were obvious to even a casual observer. This added maturity is also seen in their newer music, Asphalt Meadows being a prime example, but this was a whole other beast entirely. There is always something flashy and exciting about newer bands, but Death Cab provided an expertise that is difficult to emulate, if not downright impossible. This was a show decades in the making.

Ben Gibbard's vocals are haunting. A soft and delicate voice in the dark, Gibbard had a master's control over his performance. The frontman was also unafraid to speak up, with swelling performances on songs like "Roman Candles", which showcase his incredibly under-appreciated dynamic range. Bassist Nicholas Harmer felt omnipresent, with bass lines striking hard into the subwoofers. Conversely, drummer/percussionist Jason McGerr's light and airy drumming, particularly on "Black Sun", is just subtle enough to function as a good base for the tracks, but complex and calculated enough to shine on its own. Then there was the guitar and keyboard work of Dave Depper and Zac Rae, which contributed a large majority to the band's sonic pallet and helped build the emo-tinged, slick rock music fans have come to love. All five members of the band added a necessary and skillfully crafted element to the live sound, a beautiful and elegant production to rock the room.

Picture a cascading wall of red light washing over the crowd, a mulling distortion starts to fill the speakers, and then an unmistakable bass groove rattles through the room. Guitar slicks roll in next, followed by a steady snare beat. Chattering keys trade off with equivalent guitar chords, the band has embarked on the opening instrumental of "I Will Possess Your Heart". Ben then sneaks his way behind the upright piano at the backline, and the song kicks into full gear. This was the moment that stood out. The band created such a densely layered instrumental so effortlessly, rising up like a phoenix in one of their best performances of the night. This was also one of the most exciting moments of the night for the band, it was clear they were looking forward to this moment. 

The band really did not hold back, performing twenty-three songs over nearly two hours, fans got a phenomenal  taste of everything the band has to offer. With ten studio albums, the band had a lot to cover. The percussion heavy "Cath..." was a stellar showing, as was the spoken-word "Foxglove Through The Clearcut", a track that was incredibly moving and showcased the raw emotive ability of Ben Gibbard. About halfway through the show, the band cleared the stage as Gibbard took on "I Will Follow You Into The Dark" solo and acoustic, providing a notable moment of intimacy paired with a singalong chorus with the fans. Their full setlist is below. 

          Setlist:

          1. I Don't Know How I Survive

          2. Roman Candles

          3. The New Year

          4. Cath...

          5. Why You'd Want to Live Here

          6. Here to Forever

          7. Black Sun

          8. Northern Lights

          9. I Miss Strangers

          10. Crooked Teeth

          11. Rand McNally

          12. I Will Follow You Into The Dark (acoustic)

          13. I Will Possess Your Heart

          14. Your Heart Is an Empty Room

          15. Asphalt Meadows

          16. You Are a Tourist

          17. The Ghosts of Beverly Drive

          18. The Sound of Settling

          19. Foxglove Through The Clearcut

          -

          20. Brothers on a Hotel Bed

          21. Pepper

          22. Soul Meets Body

          23. Transatlanticism

Birmingham was just the second show of the year for Death Cab, who currently have four legs of tour announced for this year, taking them through mid-October. Two North American headline runs sandwich a European leg, then they cap off the year with a co-headline tour with The Postal Service celebrating their albums Transatlanticism and Give Up. Death Cab for Cutie's full tour dates are below.

          1/29 Charlotte, NC — Ovens Auditorium*

          1/31 St. Petersburg, FL — Jannus Live* (SOLD OUT)

          2/02 Orlando, FL — Hard Rock Live*

          2/03 New Orleans, LA — Orpheum Theatre*

          2/04 Little Rock, AR — The Hall* (SOLD OUT)

          2/06 Kansas City, MO — Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland* (SOLD OUT)

          2/07 Tulsa, OK — Cain's Ballroom* (SOLD OUT)

          2/09 Austin, TX — ACL Live at The Moody Theater* (SOLD OUT)

          2/10 Austin, TX — ACL Live at The Mood Theater* (SOLD OUT)

          2/11 Dallas, TX — The Factory in Deep Ellum*

          2/13 Knoxville, TN — The Mill & Mine* (SOLD OUT)

          2/14 Nashville, TN — Ryman Auditorium* (SOLD OUT)

          3/05 Copenhagen, DK — Den Grå Hal^

          3/06 Stockholm, SE — Filadelfia^

          3/07 Oslo, NO — Sentrum Scene^

          3/09 Berlin, DE — Columbiahalle^

          3/10 Tilburg, NL — 013^

          3/11 Amsterdam, NL — Paradiso^ (SOLD OUT)

          3/12 Cologne, DE — E-Werk^

          3/14 Antwerp, BE — de Roma^

          3/15 Luxembourg, LU — Atelier^

          3/16 Paris, FR — Salle Pleyel

          3/18 Nottingham, UK — Rock City^

          3/19 Dublin, IR — Bord Gáis Energy Theatre^

          3/21 Birmingham, UK — O2 Institute^

          3/22 Edinburgh, UK — Usher Hall^

          3/23 Glasgow, UK — Barrowland^

          3/25 Manchester, UK — O2 Apollo^

          3/27 Brighton, UK — Dome^

          3/28 London, UK — Roundhouse^

          3/29 London, UK — Royal Albert Hall^

          5/31 Indianapolis, IN — TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park~

          6/02 Toronto, ON — Massey Hall~

          6/04 Cleveland, OH — Agora Theatre and Ballroom~ (SOLD OUT)

          6/06 Milwaukee, WI — The Riverside Theater~

          6/07 Omaha, NE — The Admiral~ (SOLD OUT)

          6/09 Salt Lake City, UT — TBA~

          6/10 Missoula, MT — Kettlehouse Amphitheater~

          6/12 Calgary, AB — Grey Eagle Resort and Casino~

          6/14 Vancouver, BC — Commodore Ballroom (SOLD OUT)

          6/15 Vancouver, BC — Commodore Ballroom (SOLD OUT)

          6/16 Troutdale, OR — McMenamins Edgefield Amphitheater~

          6/17 Bend, OR — Hayden Homes Amphitheater~

          9/05 Washington D.C. — The Anthem& (SOLD OUT)

          9/06 Washington D.C. — The Anthem& (SOLD OUT)

          9/08 Portland, ME — Cross Insurance Arena& (SOLD OUT)

          9/09 South Kingstown, RI — Ryan Center& (SOLD OUT)

          9/10 New Haven, CT — Westville Music Bowl& (SOLD OUT)

          9/12 Boston, MA — MGM Music Hall at Fenway& (SOLD OUT)

          9/13 Boston, MA — MGM Music Hall at Fenway& (SOLD OUT)

          9/14 Washington D.C. — Merriweather Post Pavilion& (SOLD OUT)

          9/17 Rochester Hills, MI — Meadow Brook Amphitheater& (SOLD OUT)

          9/19 New York, NY — Madison Square Garden& (SOLD OUT)

          9/20 New York, NY — Madison Square Garden& (SOLD OUT)

          9/21 Philadelphia, PA — Mann Center For The Performing Arts& (SOLD OUT)

          9/24 Minneapolis, MN — The Armory& (SOLD OUT)

          9/26 Denver, CO — The Mission Ballroom& (SOLD OUT)

          9/27 Denver, CO — The Mission Ballroom& (SOLD OUT)

          10/03 Phoenix, AZ — Arizona Financial Theatre& (SOLD OUT)

          10/04 Las Vegas, NV — The Theater at Virgin Hotels& (SOLD OUT)

          10/06 Seattle, WA — Climate Pledge Arena& (SOLD OUT)

          10/07 Seattle, WA — Climate Pledge Arena& (SOLD OUT)

          10/09 Berkeley, CA — The Greek Theatre& (SOLD OUT)

          10/10 Berkeley, CA — The Greek Theatre& (SOLD OUT)

          10/11 Berkeley, CA — The Greek Theatre& (SOLD OUT)

          10/13 Los Angelos, CA — The Hollywood Bowl& (SOLD OUT)

          10/15 Los Angelos, CA — The Hollywood Bowl& (SOLD OUT)

          10/17 Los Angelos, CA — The Hollywood Bowl& (SOLD OUT)

          * with Momma

          ^ with Slow Pulp 

          ~ with Lomelda

          & co-headline with The Postal Service

Death Cab for Cutie are one of the quintessential bands of the past twenty years that you need to see live. With countless alternative and mainstream hits and an incredible live show, there really is not a good reason not to. As the band continues to carve their legacy into the popular music landscape, I feel confident in saying that they will not only be remembered fifty years from now, but celebrated.