By: Pat O'Brien
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Death Cab For Cutie - Publicity Photo
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Proving that you can turn the assassination of an Austrian archduke into great, art-damaged fun, new-wave obsessed Glaswegians Franz Ferdinand took a bit to get going, but when they did the crowd came right along with them. There wasn't much of a stage set (just a backdrop of the new album cover) but it didn't matter, there was a lot to keep track of on stage with all the jumping and running (and lead singer Alex Kapranos climbing the speaker stacks). Kapranos commented on how much he liked the Northrop as opposed to "that building we played last time we were here," a sly knock on the Target Center that elicited applause and laughter from the crowd. Kapranos also delivered a heartfelt speech about not spending so much time hating things and just being yourself before ripping into "The Dark Of The Matinee," good advice to a crowd which definitely skewed a little on the young side.
Their rendition of "Do You Want To" from their new album You Could Have It So Much Better was a little tired--I'd bet they're playing it at every stop and it's getting a bit repetitive for them. They also did not play the huge hit "Take Me Out," though I hardly missed it; they replaced it with "Jacqueline," which I find to be a more enjoyable song. The highlight of their set came right at the end as a lead-in to the encore, when drummer Paul Thomson and two others (touring keyboardist Andy Knowles and a guy who looked like he might have been the drum tech) began hammering on Thomson's kit from all angles and didn't stop for a good five minutes. It whipped the crowd into a bit of a frenzy and led the way for a light-filled, taut encore by the band.
The roar in the Northrop was unbelievable as Death Cab For Cutie took the stage (overly emotional girls can really holler). "Thanks for sticking around" singer Ben Gibbard half-joked as they started in with "Passenger Seat," which sparked an instant sing-along from the crowd. Their stage set had a few white cutout trees in the background and two smallish, white cabin-like structures framing the band, making it look like the band was playing a set in Lilliput. Up until now, DCFC had always sounded to me like Built To Spill without all the peripheral weirdness, but they have grown into a sound that is truly unique. They dug into their back catalog a bit, playing some songs from their first two albums, and while enjoyable it really illuminated how much they have evolved in the past eight years. They were loose and comfortable on stage, though Gibbard got a little wistful for First Avenue, where they have played almost every other time through town. Gibbard dedicated "Soul Meets Body" to the club, as well as First Ave stage manager Conrad Sverkerson and "the crack heads around the corner." It was a tribute to a place they are now probably too popular to play, which is just fine by me; they sounded excellent in the Northrop.
Gibbard does gets a little too into "nice guy" mode at times; for example, he and guitarist Chris Walla told a disturbing, hilarious story about the first time they played here and were making fun of a woman they stayed with, but then Gibbard needlessly apologized for it in case the woman was in the crowd. They made up for it, though, with a stellar encore starting with just Gibbard on stage playing "I Will Follow You Into The Dark" on acoustic guitar (with the entire crowd on backing vocals once again) and ending with their seven-minute plus, slow-burning "Transatlanticism," a song that seems just perfect for ending an encore--it's the third time I have seen them use it for that purpose.
Location Info:
Northrop Auditorium
Artist Info: Death Cab For Cutie, Franz Ferdinand
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