Despite the multiple accolades some of us have given Death Cab for Cutie's live shows in the past, sometimes, the band's lo-fi stylings and muted yet upbeat melodies just don't quite do it for all of us. A lot of times, their albums -- though plenty and successful -- always seem to leave us wanting a little something more. Last night however, not only did we get that little bit more, we were converted into full-fledged fans.

Unfortunately, due to working at the polls in Virginia combined with the always frustrating Northern Virginia syndrome of bad drivers in the rain, we missed opener Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. While DCist has reviewed them before, we're sorry we missed what Ben Gibbard later said to be "the single most rocking band we've ever played with." Gibbard went on to kindly suggest we go buy one of their CD's, and that it would make one's "life sunnier." Consider the weather these past three days, I hope some people took him up on that suggestion.

So back to Death Cab and what we consider one of the best examples of showmanship we've seen in ages. On album, DCFC comes across as being a bit of a soft-pop, indie band that delivers easy to swallow melodies with interesting lyrics and interesting, yet mellow, arrangements. Live they're all this, with the addition of a little-boy like fervor that comes through particularly in Gibbards impressive vocals; they really bring his lyrics to life. Right off the bat, opening with "Marching Bands of Manhattan" and immedietely jumping into "The New Year", we realized that any conception of DCFC as being a "soft" pop band would have to be revised. Their hip gyrations, enthusiasm, facial and physical interplay, instrument switching and of course, the charisma machine that is Ben Gibbard simply blew us away. His vocals are delivered in layers of a lilting falsetto and an enveloping, unrivalled warmth. That treatment was best displayed on his solo acoustic song mid-set, "I Will Follow You Into the Dark." My hair stood on end as he went into his last chorus, and I expect, considering the amount of screaming that ensued, that many others felt the same. On album, his falsetto can become grating, but on stage his voice tugs at all the right strings. Lead guitar and keyboards (alternating depending on the song) were manned by Christopher Walla, delivering the type of melody that echoes in your mind long after the song has ended. The band was rounded out by the always strong Jason McGerr on drums and Nick Harmer solidly on bass.

With a cityscape backdrop and colorful lighting, DCFC set the stage for the emotional ups and downs that a good performer knows how to milk. They alternated between more energetic rock songs, such as "We Laugh Indoors" (cue here strobe lights and brighter red and orange lighting), with their more atmospheric and emotional tunes, such as "Transatlaticism" (cue here torquise and lilac lights and smoke machines). They also did an intelligent job of grouping songs based upon album and subject, and more well known songs with lesser known ones that complimented the former. Some of the stand-outs of the sixteen song set (yes, thats right, sixteen FULL songs plus a three song encore) included a lovely rendition of "Lightness," a surprisingly hard rocking version of "The New Year," and the fittingly dark "Company Calls Epilogue." Each of these songs were delivered with earnestness and a sensitivity to the lyrics that really took you into the aura of the song.

The best song of the evening was "We Looked Like Giants," which lasted at least a good ten minutes and included a drawn out instrumental ending. As Gibbard threw his guitar to one roadie, another set of roadies had just brought out a second drum set for Gibbard to bang on. The thick and intricate rhythm that the duo of Gibbard and McGerr created on drums was palpable. Towards the end of the song, Gibbard abandoned his drumset, was thrown his guitar again and returned to the mic. What a performance.

Least impressive of the core set was "We Laugh Indoors," in which Ben's voice was lost, and "Company Calls," which was a cranked up to the point of ear pain. The rhythm changes of the song made any momentum for this song stagnate. We strongly suggest bagging this song for live sets, except for the saving grace that is the "Company Calls Epilogue;" it made for such a beautiful afterthought.

The encore also left a lot to be desired. The first song of the encore, "Your Heart is an Empty Room," exemplified what DCFC does best - creating anthemic love, or love lost, songs. It was the last two songs that really just left that "meh" feeling. The first of which was a cover of Takoma, Washington's The Sonics'(who Gibbard claimed to be the "best band for the pacific Northwest) song "I'm Going Home." Having a blues base, this really didn't fit with DCFC's genre and the song didn't invoke the type of emotional response that the rest of their setlist did. The last song was thwarted by the fact that the guitar Gibbard needed wasn't ready, so he had to tune one on stage, claiming their "dramatic ending just got ruined." He did quickly tune the guitar, but "Sound of Settling" seemed to be delivered faster and much rougher than normal.

Regardless, the sour encore didn't change our feelings about their excellent core set and their enthusiasm for the audience and their own music. Should Death Cab for Cutie come to town again, whether in support of the same album again or a new one, we will definitely be there. And, though the speed at which their tickets sell out indicates that you already are, we suggest you do the same. Because this isn't just an average soft-pop indie band; this is a band that delivers a "get-your-money's-worth" rock and roll show.

The Setlist (as we could compile it - leave any corrections in the comments):
Marching Bands of Manhattan
The New Year
We Laugh Indoors
Why’d You want to Live here
Crooked Teeth
Title and Registration
Lightness
Photobooth
Movie Script Ending
Company Calls
Company Calls Epilogue
I Will Follow You into the Dark
Soul Meets Body
I Was a Kaleidoscope
We Looked Like Giants
Transatlanticism

ENCORE

Your Heart is An Empty Room
"I'm Going Home" by the Sonics
The Sound of Settling

Photographs by Flickr user Manicosity.