You're more than just a rhyme to us...
Wednesday night was the long-awaited Death Cab for Cutie/Franz Ferdinand show. Well, long-awaited and slightly dreaded, ever since Mike laughed when I told him I was going, and told me prepare to feel really, really old.
And at first I did. Because all the girls were dressed like Pat Benatar, but I'm pretty sure that none of them were even born when I was rushing home after school to catch Love is a Battlefield on VideoHits. But, like I've said before, today's ridiculous teenage fads are way cooler than the ones I chased. I mean, plastic jewelry and eyeshadow vs flannel shirts and sighing? There's just no contest.
Anyway, I've never been a huge fan, but I was still excited to see Death Cab. I willfully ignored them for years because I hated their name. I'm kind of unforgiving that way. I only relented and started to listen a couple of years ago, but I'm not really familiar with a lot of their stuff. Which definitely put me the minority - every time they started a song, a huge cheer went up from the audience before the first notes had finished. The first thing that struck me was the voice - Ben Gibbard sounded exactly the same as he does on record. I've never heard a singer sound so true to a recording. He wasn't the least bit ragged or hoarse from touring. It was almost disconcerting and actually made the performance feel strangely remote, like I was listening to it on headphones. I was also taken aback by their stage presence. I expected a bunch of wan guys shuffling their feet and looking embarrassed. Instead, I got rock stars. Howya guys doing out there? uh, good, I guess.
But once I got over my surprise, I was mesmerized. Death Cab for Cutie are amazing. I wished I'd memorized their albums like everyone else had. When they played Different Names for the Same Thing, the stands lit up with cell phones held high. I haven't been to a stadium show in ages, so this was all new to me...a few purists went for their lighters, but they were just small flickers in the greenish glow.
And if I had memorized their albums, I wouldn't have been so surprised at the reaction to I Will Follow You Into the Dark. I can't think of the last time I've heard a crowd sing along like that, as uninhibited as children. Midway through the song, the singing turned into shouting and one of the lines became a roar, followed by a huge cheer. I had no idea what had just happened, or what on earth everyone was cheering about. It wasn't until the next day that I realized the line was: we've seen everything there is to see/from Bangkok to Calgary. Which explains Ben Gibbard's introduction:
"You're more than just a rhyme to us"
And after Death Cab, Franz Ferdinand played. But it hardly mattered.
And at first I did. Because all the girls were dressed like Pat Benatar, but I'm pretty sure that none of them were even born when I was rushing home after school to catch Love is a Battlefield on VideoHits. But, like I've said before, today's ridiculous teenage fads are way cooler than the ones I chased. I mean, plastic jewelry and eyeshadow vs flannel shirts and sighing? There's just no contest.
Anyway, I've never been a huge fan, but I was still excited to see Death Cab. I willfully ignored them for years because I hated their name. I'm kind of unforgiving that way. I only relented and started to listen a couple of years ago, but I'm not really familiar with a lot of their stuff. Which definitely put me the minority - every time they started a song, a huge cheer went up from the audience before the first notes had finished. The first thing that struck me was the voice - Ben Gibbard sounded exactly the same as he does on record. I've never heard a singer sound so true to a recording. He wasn't the least bit ragged or hoarse from touring. It was almost disconcerting and actually made the performance feel strangely remote, like I was listening to it on headphones. I was also taken aback by their stage presence. I expected a bunch of wan guys shuffling their feet and looking embarrassed. Instead, I got rock stars. Howya guys doing out there? uh, good, I guess.
But once I got over my surprise, I was mesmerized. Death Cab for Cutie are amazing. I wished I'd memorized their albums like everyone else had. When they played Different Names for the Same Thing, the stands lit up with cell phones held high. I haven't been to a stadium show in ages, so this was all new to me...a few purists went for their lighters, but they were just small flickers in the greenish glow.
And if I had memorized their albums, I wouldn't have been so surprised at the reaction to I Will Follow You Into the Dark. I can't think of the last time I've heard a crowd sing along like that, as uninhibited as children. Midway through the song, the singing turned into shouting and one of the lines became a roar, followed by a huge cheer. I had no idea what had just happened, or what on earth everyone was cheering about. It wasn't until the next day that I realized the line was: we've seen everything there is to see/from Bangkok to Calgary. Which explains Ben Gibbard's introduction:
"You're more than just a rhyme to us"
And after Death Cab, Franz Ferdinand played. But it hardly mattered.
1 comment:
Color me cynical, but there might be a reason why his recordings sound e-x-a-c-t-l-y like his stage performances.
To re-use an old slogan from my younger days, 'Is it live, or is it Memorex?'
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