For over the past month, Death Cab for Cutie have been on the road across North America promoting their new album, I Built You a Tower. Along the way, they were joined by Japanese Breakfast, Jay Som, and for this final stretch of shows, Nation of Language opened the show. I made my way south to San Diego to catch the show in the heart of Downtown at Petco Park's Gallagher Square, and didn't leave disappointed.
Nation of Language hit the stage around 7. I was familiar with the name but not familiar with the music, and I wasn't quite sure what to expect. What the trio delivered were a number of dreamy 80s influenced synth-wave bops reminiscent of Talk Talk, The Human League, and New Order. Vocalist, Ian Richard Devaney's performance and stage presence elevated the dreamlike softness of their music to a resounding din. Nation of Language released their 4th full length, Dance Called Memory, last year, but the track that stuck out the most to me was the hauntingly mellow, "Weak in Your Light" from their 2023 release Strange Disciple. I look forward to hearing more.
Death Cab made their way to the stage at 8 once the lights went out and the projection wall along the back began to illuminate. They jumped right into the lead single from I Built You a Tower, "Riptides" -- an appropriate way to open a show happening just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the ocean. They followed it up with "Roman Candles" from their critically acclaimed 2022 release, Asphalt Meadows. It was the only track they played from the album, which was a surprise since it seemed like that album brought the band back into the limelight. However, their goal was clear: try to cater to fans old and new while promoting their new record. The bulk of the set was I Built You a Tower, covering about three quarters of the album. Some of the new songs really benefit from the live setting. "Stone Over Water" sounded more full and robust rather than the somewhat tired and thin offering from the studio recordings. The already pulsating "How Heavenly a State" gets a little extra oomph from bassist Nick Harmer's performance. The rhythm section on title track, "I Built You a Tower" gets thrown into the mix a little more that gives the song more propulsion. In my opinion, live is the best way to experience the already excellent album.
They still broke out fan favorites and hits like "The New Year" and "The Sound of Settling" from Transatlanticism. During Ben's intimate solo performance of "I Will Follow You Into the Dark," he asked the audience to take over vocal duties on the penultimate chorus to which the crowd graciously accepted. They snuck in oldies from their first two LPs -- "Your Bruise" from their debut album, Something About Airplanes, and "Company Calls" from We Have the Facts... with a preamble noting that this was the largest San Diego show they've ever played and a shout out to local punk club The Casbah.
Death Cab for Cutie have been at this for nearly 30 years and they are still performing with the same enthusiasm and drive that you'll find in 20-something up-and-comers looking to make a name for themselves. It's hard not to be captivated. The US tour is all but finished with just a show in San Francisco and a festival date in Seattle remaining. After that, the band will be globetrotting hitting up the UK and Europe, then heading to Japan before finishing off the tour in Australia. If you're in the markets, don't miss the show!
