Death Cab For Cutie w/ Chong The Nomad
Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA
10.26.22
21 days into their Asphalt Meadows Tour, Death Cab for Cutie returned to Seattle for the first of two concerts that comprised the Pacific Northwest leg of the tour. “I’m so happy to be home!” Ben Gibbard shouted after the first few songs. This show came somewhat full circle for me, seven years from the first time that I finally had the opportunity to see the band play. Same venue, same band–and with seven years, two albums, and three EPs between now and then–their sound remained relatively the same. Please don’t get me wrong, I appreciate that about Death Cab. Their ability to divert from course just enough to not be duplicative whilst maintaining a sound that has continued to resonate with their fans for 25 years and counting is no small feat. It’s a sound that feels like home.
The 23-song setlist consisted of a good mix of new songs from Death Cab for Cutie’s recent release, Asphalt Meadows–including “I Don’t Know How I Survive”, “Here to Forever”, “Rand McNally”, and others–in addition to a slew of albums past–Thank You For Today, Kintsugi, Narrow Stairs, Plans, Transatlanticism, The Photo Album, and We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes. Fans attending the first night of this stop responded in their own ways to hearing their favorite songs, some bobbing energetically, swaying in place, or stoically still. While some trickled out after the official end of the set, scores of the sold out crowd remained, demanding an encore via thunderous applause. They got what they asked for and more, as the band returned to the historic Paramount stage for a 4-song encore.
The band is now home and on a short hiatus through the end of the year. Death Cab for Cutie’s Asphalt Meadows Tour starts up again on January 27th, 2023 with 12 stops spread across the south, before jumping to the European and UK leg through the end of March.
Review and photos by Liv Lyons
Death Cab For Cutie
