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Written by Danielle Pauly Wednesday, 20 May 2015 16:30

It’s doubtful that anyone at the Death Cab for Cutie show at The Pageant would have known that lead singer Benjamin Gibbard was recovering from an illness.

The Pageant, St. Louis

It’s doubtful that anyone at the Death Cab for Cutie show at The Pageant would have known that lead singer Benjamin Gibbard was recovering from an illness. He rocked the stage, commanding it with his lilting, powerful and melodic voice. Had it not been for the sassy quip he tossed out to the crowd mid-set—“I’d like to thank tonight’s sponsors: Mucinex and Sudafex. I’d like to thank them properly”—the crowd would have been near-oblivious.

The show began with a dark stage and an otherworldly voice rambling above a futuristic beat. The crowd cheered and beckoned the group out, and they took the stage. The group began with “No Room, No Frame” the first track off their latest album Kintsugi.

The four-piece group played in-sync and maintained a playful, energetic dynamic with the crowd. A member of the audience clapped and screamed while Gibbard was talking to the audience, and he jokingly fired back “Be quiet, I’m trying to talk here.” In equal measure with the band’s lightheartedness, they were also quite gracious, thanking the crowd several times throughout the show.

The group performed several songs from multiple albums:

Kintsugi— “Ghosts of Beverly Hills”

Codes and Keys—“Codes and Keys”

Soul Meets Body—“Plans”

Something About Airplanes—“President of What?”

The show ended with Gibbard on the piano belting out “I Will Possess Your Heart.” This wasn’t a proper ending in the audience’s opinion though; after a few minutes of cheering and stomping, the group took the stage once more. A couple of the band’s top hits were performed such as “Marching Bands of Manhattan” and “Transatlanticism.”

Opening act The Antlers, of Brooklyn, NY, were a nice choice for the opening act of this show with their slow, melodic and futuristic sound.

The majority of the audience came to the show expecting to be blown away by DCFC, and they were certainly not disappointed. As the exits of The Pageant became a sea of people post-show, there was nothing to witness but smiles and excited chatter. | Danielle Pauly