Death Cab for Cutie at the Fox Theater, Oakland
acutejam
Posts: 1,433
Nearly a week later and I'm still ... stunned. Haunted. In awe... I don't have the words to describe these shows (I saw Tues/Weds, skipped Thurs), and if you've read my concert posts, hehehe, that's rare for me!
"You can't always get what you want, but if you try some time, you just might find, you get what you need...."
I didn't get 2 days of Vedder in Austin, but I did get 2 days of Death Cab for Cutie in Oakland. Another Seattle band with an amazing lyricist. And the bonus was the Magic Magic Orchestra, an SF-based nine piece chamber ensemble that was beautifully integrated into nearly every song. Ben recorded his most recent record with them, so some songs were written with them in mind -- but the old stuff all had to be arranged, and the Orchestra did an incredible job, and the mix was perfect, neither orchestra nor the band overpowering one another (unless it was appropriate!) Jeff Lynne couldn't have done it better!
I don't really follow Ben or Death Cab too much. Sampling their studio tracks, just too over-produced for my tastes, complicated layered soundscapes that just don't do it for me. I like 'em more when they're stripped down. I've never bought more than a handful of their tunes, got some side-project acoustic guitar stuff of Ben's too. I love how Ben can take an innocuous little view of something and bring it back to that knife jutting out of your chest....
The glove compartment is inaccurately named
And everybody knows it.
So i'm proposing a swift orderly change.
Cause behind its door there's nothing to keep my fingers warm
And all i find are souvenirs from better times
Before the gleam of your taillights fading east
To find yourself a better life.
So, much of the concert was new music to me. But I know what they do, I know what the mood of their music is, and I know what's going on in my life that I could sure use a little release from.... Flat out, I was simply unprepared for "What Sarah Said." Some things cut too close to the bone, I was a mess after that... but sometimes you gotta break down to build up, neh?
What I really dug was simply the uncomplicated "lo-fi" approach the band (heck, most bands) has to take on tour. Sure they used a bit of synth here and there, but they left most of that studio layering to the orchestral arrangements. Just awesome well mic'd and mixed sounds of the drums, bass, guitars and piano - each distinct, and yet all melding in with the sounds of a symphony.
"You Are a Tourist" and "Cath..." the more rocking tunes, totally dug 'em! "Tiny Vessels" too. "Title and Registration" is one of my fav songs, so was happy to hear that. "Hindsight" was fun. "No Joy in Mudville" reminded me of the song I first stumbled across on a compliation, The Postal Service's "This Place is a Prison."
And from the acoustic set, "Monday Morning" was groovy man! Just mind-blowing shows, perfect in so many ways. If you have any inkling of wonder about Death Cab, wow, catch this tour!
And it's so f'n cool to see that Charlie from Always Sunny has got a real job now playing bass for Death Cab!!! Or is that Jeff's brother from a different.... What up with this Seattle Bass Player Archetype???
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2012/0 ... t-the-fox/
"You can't always get what you want, but if you try some time, you just might find, you get what you need...."
I didn't get 2 days of Vedder in Austin, but I did get 2 days of Death Cab for Cutie in Oakland. Another Seattle band with an amazing lyricist. And the bonus was the Magic Magic Orchestra, an SF-based nine piece chamber ensemble that was beautifully integrated into nearly every song. Ben recorded his most recent record with them, so some songs were written with them in mind -- but the old stuff all had to be arranged, and the Orchestra did an incredible job, and the mix was perfect, neither orchestra nor the band overpowering one another (unless it was appropriate!) Jeff Lynne couldn't have done it better!
I don't really follow Ben or Death Cab too much. Sampling their studio tracks, just too over-produced for my tastes, complicated layered soundscapes that just don't do it for me. I like 'em more when they're stripped down. I've never bought more than a handful of their tunes, got some side-project acoustic guitar stuff of Ben's too. I love how Ben can take an innocuous little view of something and bring it back to that knife jutting out of your chest....
The glove compartment is inaccurately named
And everybody knows it.
So i'm proposing a swift orderly change.
Cause behind its door there's nothing to keep my fingers warm
And all i find are souvenirs from better times
Before the gleam of your taillights fading east
To find yourself a better life.
So, much of the concert was new music to me. But I know what they do, I know what the mood of their music is, and I know what's going on in my life that I could sure use a little release from.... Flat out, I was simply unprepared for "What Sarah Said." Some things cut too close to the bone, I was a mess after that... but sometimes you gotta break down to build up, neh?
What I really dug was simply the uncomplicated "lo-fi" approach the band (heck, most bands) has to take on tour. Sure they used a bit of synth here and there, but they left most of that studio layering to the orchestral arrangements. Just awesome well mic'd and mixed sounds of the drums, bass, guitars and piano - each distinct, and yet all melding in with the sounds of a symphony.
"You Are a Tourist" and "Cath..." the more rocking tunes, totally dug 'em! "Tiny Vessels" too. "Title and Registration" is one of my fav songs, so was happy to hear that. "Hindsight" was fun. "No Joy in Mudville" reminded me of the song I first stumbled across on a compliation, The Postal Service's "This Place is a Prison."
And from the acoustic set, "Monday Morning" was groovy man! Just mind-blowing shows, perfect in so many ways. If you have any inkling of wonder about Death Cab, wow, catch this tour!
And it's so f'n cool to see that Charlie from Always Sunny has got a real job now playing bass for Death Cab!!! Or is that Jeff's brother from a different.... What up with this Seattle Bass Player Archetype???
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2012/0 ... t-the-fox/
[sic] happens
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