Death Cab For Cutie with The Jealous Sound and The And/Ors
Knitting Factory, New York (February 24, 2001)
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Death Cab For Cutie
Knitting Factory, New York
February 24, 2001 |
The eerie blue glow of my wrist watch pronounced it 9 p.m. as I glanced across the small crowd that had already gathered in the Knitting Factory main space to catch the second annual Holiday Matinee tour. As my eyes moved across the plywood floor from one small group of 15-year olds sitting cross-legged to another, I was suddenly struck with the excitement, the anticipation of seeing a band (or in this case bands) I like in an intimate club.
I remembered being 15, when going to a show was something I did once a season, not once a week. I used to debate and compromise for hours until I finally convinced my mom to drive a half hour (45 minutes with traffic) to drop me and a friend off at a show. I also recalled the euphoric feeling that would sweep over me once I emerged from a sweaty, stuffy venue into a cold Chicago night knowing that all the bartering had been worth it. The show was good, or sometimes great, and for a couple of hours, it stopped time.
With all this in mind, I was suddenly geared up for the show that was about to take place. Around 9:30 p.m., the And/Ors took the stage and delivered 25 minutes worth of power pop. Despite some guitar tuning problems, the band's goofy stage demeanor -- with guitarist Lane Miller kissing lead singer/guitarist Daniel Black, bassist Arabella Harrison, and drummer Chris Wassel on the cheek throughout the set -- spread the love throughout the half-full room. Still, the band's music, though pleasant enough, never broke from a 90-120 beats per minute, three chord, 4/4 time song structure. Tracks like the set-opening "Regarding Mr. Right" and "At The Saturn Bar" were entertaining at the time, however I had no recollection of what either sounded like 12 hours later.
After a flurry of equipment changes, the Jealous Sound, fronted by bald-plated ex-Knapsack lead singer/guitarist Blair Shehan, took to the stage. The band has only released one self-titled five song EP (Better Looking Records), but it is 21 minutes of pure pop/rock pleasure. The set made use of the entire EP and the yet-to-be released tracks that Blair said before the show would probably end up on the group's first-full length, due in the fall.
"Quiet Life" popped with John McGinnis' joyous bass lines and Pedro Benito's guitar work resonating throughout the room. The band seemed genuinely surprised and appreciative of the crowd's enthusiastic response and extended the And/Or's fun-loving attitude. Shehan even joked about their new drummer Michele with the warning: "watch out ladies, he's French." The set closed with the hook-laden "Anxious Arms" and during the final instrumental break, something amazing happened. It became evident from the way that the band was moving -- in an entrancing unison with guitars soaring and drum beats flying furiously -- that no one in the band was "thinking" about playing any longer.
The music had transcended its origin from a group of individuals playing their instruments. It had just become a band, a single entity delivering some amazing rock'n'roll. And as the song closed, the crowd roared, hoping for another amazing moment like that one. But, as Shehan and company left the stage, he was forced to admit that, "That's all the songs we know."
Audience enthusiasm only heightened as the eerie, laconic chords of Death Cab For Cutie's "Your Bruise," emanated from the stage. Lead singer/songwriter/guitarist Ben Gibbard seemed a bit rushed, as he arrived on stage wearing his glasses and dressed (as the Holiday Matinee web site asserts) "like he's going to the Pavement show," in a grey ringer t-shirt and navy work service sector pants. By half way through the first song, the glasses had disappeared, prompting one boisterous audience member to inquire about them.
Gibbard explained that he couldn't play with them because they'd fall off and he wouldn't be able to see anything. Guitarist/keyboardist Chris Walla took this as a cue and played the entire next song with Gibbard's glasses on his face which led to a post-song cursing of the entire idea due to the headache he had acquired. With the fun and games underway, Death Cab For Cutie delivered a set filled with old favorites, new songs, and even a Bjork cover for good measure.
A third of the way through the set, when Walla made his first shift from guitar to keyboard, the band coalesced. "Photobooth," from the Forbidden Love EP (Barsuk) and "President Of What?" were played with a poppy, lush energy that highlighted the solid rhythm section of bassist Nicholas Harner and drummer Michael Schorr. The band returned for an encore which ended with a cover of Revolutionary Hydra's "The Face That Launched 1000 Shits," which appeared on their debut album.
As I milled my way out of the room, I felt satiated. The bands had been enjoyable and the crowd had been fun. I then pulled on my jacket and stepped out the door from the sweaty, stuffy venue into the cold New York City night. I realized that I didn't know what time it was. And I suddenly felt like I was 15 again. The show had stopped time.
A.K. GOLD | A.K. Gold lives in Washington, D.C., where she slaves away for a non-profit organization and constantly compares everything to New York City or Chicago. She's earned her "cred" as a college radio and pre-1960 country music DJ, committed indie label street teamer, sporadic zinemaker/contributor, retired mail-order filler and occasional freelance writer. From time to time, she publishes Anecdotal Evidence, a per zine that will some day be considered for the National Book Award, or possibly not. If you want to buy a copy, or desire to write to her for some other reason, email criticgirl@hotmail.com.