Death Cab for Cutie took to the Orpheum Theatre stage Tuesday night and blazed through a 24 song set list spanning 9 albums of their 22-year career. Frontman Ben Gibbard told the crowd that it had been too long since the band had played New Orleans and that was on him. While the 2,000 seat theatre wasn’t listed as a sellout, the venue was at near capacity.
Few bands enjoy the longevity and respect that this five-piece band from Seattle does. Throughout the night, they weaved their trademark melodic guitar leads on top of solid grooves laid down by the rhythm section. Gibbard switched between guitar and piano often, sometimes multiple times during a single song.
The showstopper was, of course, their 2005 hit single: “When Soul Meets Body”. Gibbard switches to acoustic guitar for this one and delivers a faster, more aggressive version than on the recorded track. Fans rejoiced and after a short break, Gibbard returned solo for a stellar rendition of “I Will Follow You into the Dark”. The full band returned to the stage and closed out the show with “When We Drive”, “You Are a Tourist” and “Transatlanticism”.
Setlist:
I Dreamt We Spoke Again
Summer Years
The Ghosts of Beverly Drive
Long Division
Title and Registration
Gold Rush
Crooked Teeth
A Movie Script Ending
No Sunlight
What Sarah Said
60 & Punk
I Will Possess Your Heart
Little Wanderer
Black Sun
Expo ’86
Northern Lights
Doors Unlocked and Open
Cath…
Soul Meets Body
The Sound of Settling
Encore:
I Will Follow You Into the Dark
When We Drive
You Are a Tourist
Transatlanticism