By Christopher David<\/p>\n
As indie bands who have become bonafide, mainstream successes go, it doesn\u2019t get much more authentic than Death Cab for Cutie, which was why their Lollapalooza after show at Metro was such a rare and thrilling moment for all in attendance on Thursday night.<\/p>\n
Ben Gibbard and Co. (bassist Nick Harmer, drummer Jason McGerr, keyboardist\/guitarist Dave Depper, and keyboardist Zac Rae) tore through a ninety-minute set that considerably eclipsed their headlining slot at Lollapalooza itself in terms of both scope and depth; the band drew from nearly every album in their catalog and offered a set of both deep cuts and singles.<\/p>\n
The widespread success of Death Cab following the release of 2005\u2019s Plans <\/em>was unexpected for many fans at the time; but now, fifteen years on, the band\u2019s position as one of most entrenched indie-pop bands of all time is cemented, and from the second the band took the stage to the sweeping, emotive refrains of \u201cMarching Bands of Manhattan,\u201d Gibbard cut a rock star\u2019s figure, swaying and working the crowd into a fit under the relentless pulse of strobe lights that lent an air of surreality to the room. It was a night of perfect balance: the thumping pulse of \u201cGold Rush\u201d blended into the ubiquitous singalong of \u201cCrooked Teeth,\u201d which gave way to the contemplative melancholy of \u201cPhotobooth.\u201d<\/p>\n Death Cab\u2019s approach to pop has always been unique; you\u2019d be hard pressed to find a catchier melody than the chorus of \u201cSoul Meets Body\u201d or \u201cI\u2019ll Follow You Into the Dark\u201d (surely the \u201cJust Like Heaven\u201d for all who came of age around the time of Plans<\/em>), but much of Death Cab\u2019s deepest material resonates when it shrugs off convention in favor of atmosphere and Gibbard\u2019s thoughtful narratives. The slow burn of \u201c60 & Punk\u201d and the slick, \u201880s sheen of \u201cNorthern Lights\u201d (both from 2018\u2019s underrated Thank You For Today<\/em>) fit in beautifully with more experimental pieces like \u201cI Will Possess Your Heart\u201d from 2008\u2019s Narrow Stairs, <\/em>and the encore focused on tunes from Transatlanticism<\/em> couldn\u2019t help but call to mind one of Gibbard\u2019s comments early in the show about having played the Metro back in the early 2000s and how good it was to be back. Indeed, the band has gone on to much larger venues since – it doesn\u2019t get much larger than Grant Park during one particular annual event in August. But it was a rare and much appreciated opportunity to get a career retrospective from a band that continues to impress and evolve while staying true to its strengths.<\/p>\n