Yeah ok so we’re late on this… let’s say it’s just because we were so floored and overtaken by nostalgia on the night of September 12th (and 13th, if you attended night two) that we were unable to really string any coherent thoughts together on this show until now. Yeah. That sounds good. But isn’t that always going to happen when Ben Gibbard and co. come into the fray? You could even argue that even 20 years ago, when Death Cab for Cutie and the Postal Service dropped their unforgettable, undeniably impactful opuses – Transatlanticism and Give Up, respectively – they were already groups firmly rooted in nostalgic sentiment. These are two albums that glance back in time and self-consciously examine failed relationships. Going into this show, jokes like “Take my phone away so I don’t text my ex(es)” were being tossed around the bar. That’s the kind of mood they put you in. 

(Unrelated and unsolicited pro tip: you don’t have to stop yourself from texting your exes if you delete their numbers entirely. You deserve better, queen.)

I could gush about these two life-altering, personality-shaping masterpieces simply as the albums they are. But this was more than just an album listening party, a simple stroll down memory lane. This was the 20th anniversary concert of a year when Ben Gibbard was – it seems – down badder than any human male has ever been. Like let’s be for real. Writing just one of these albums would be enough to make any listener think, “Ok this guy needs to get laid and move on.” So to do it twice in the same year, both times redefining the blueprint for an entire genre, is a testament to what one person can do with the perfectly proportioned mixture of heartbreak and horniness (coincidentally, these are the two primary conditions that allow men to compose good music). 

Flashback to a year ago when I covered Death Cab’s show at the Leader Bank Pavilion. At first, I was a little disappointed that they didn’t play anything from Transatlanticism. That disappointment quickly dissolved into anticipation when I realized that it would soon be the album’s 20th anniversary. The wait was well worth it. 

The evening started with a set from Scottish songwriter Lauren Mayberry. Though only seven songs, she made sure her performance will be remembered by the early crowd, especially with her cover of Madonna’s “Like A Prayer.” She gave a solid, energetic performance that got the crowd ready for what was to come next. 

Death Cab was ultimately the first of the two headliners, taking stage fully adorned in all black everything. They promised Transatlanticism, and that’s what we got, front to back. When those opening chords of “The New Year” hit, the entire audience roared, getting ready for a singalong of the whole album. Although I already knew this from their 2022 set, it’s still worth noting that the band is as tight as ever. On top of that, despite being 20 years removed from the album’s release, the band hasn’t lost their energy in regards to Transatlanticism. This anniversary tour isn’t just a cash grab; it’s a genuine celebration that sees the band honoring their own body of work, recognizing that this and the Postal Service’s Give Up are truly cherished by fans (exemplified by the explosive and resounding “BA BAAAAA” refrain on “The Sound of Settling”). This is obviously a biased statement, but the highlights of this set were my favorite tracks from the album: “Title & Registration,” “Tiny Vessels,” “Passenger Seat,” and “We Looked Like Giants.” 

After a brief intermission, it was time for the Postal Service, who were set to rifle through Give Up cover-to-cover. In a simple yet clever juxtaposition to Death Cab’s look, the band came out in all white everything. Gibbard was of course joined by OG Postal Service collaborator Jimmy Tamborello (a.k.a. Dntel), uniting the duo that had originally conceived this glitchy indietronica masterwork. What was also extremely pleasing was the lineup’s inclusion of Jenny Lewis, who sang backing vocals on the album. Absent however was Jen Wood, the singer who duets with Gibbard on “Nothing Better,” a duty performed by Lewis this time around. Also joining the band was multi-instrumentalist and Death Cab member Dave Depper, the only other musician besides Gibbard who was pulling a double shift. 

I had previously seen the Postal Service on the 10th anniversary tour of Give Up back in 2013. While I was undoubtedly into that set, MGM Music Hall makes for a better venue than the Leader Bank Pavilion (which at the time was sponsored by some other bank and therefore had a different name, as it surely will again within the next two years when yet another stupid bank buys the naming rights). Something about the indoor setting just works better for the sound of electronic music than an open-air hatch shell. The undeniably bad sound quality at the Pavilion is a discussion for another piece. 

Compared to “The New Year,” which opens with a delightfully resounding bigness, Give Up’s opener “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight” starts more subtly before building itself into a climactic second half. Following that is “Such Great Heights,” probably the album’s most famous and recognizable track. Given the album’s exceptional track order, everything after that just flowed perfectly. By the time penultimate track “Brand New Colony” had its turn, I was sorta hoping that we could just take it from the top. Maybe I should have considered going to night two as well. Alas. 

For the encore, Gibbard and Lewis came out to play “Such Great Heights” a second time as an acoustic duo, before all the members of both bands returned to the stage to perform a supergroup cover of Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy The Silence,” which has been their closing track for at least the East Coast leg of the tour. While Gibbard’s prototypical indie-emo vocalizing is a far cry from Dave Gahan’s sultry baritone, it nonetheless fits this song so well. The track’s refrain of “All I ever wanted, all I ever needed is here in my arms” really does sound like something Gibbard might have written circa 2003. 

In short, this show did wonders in the continued effort to heal my inner teenager. 

Check out Emily Gardner’s full gallery of photos from the show below.