Concert review: Thunder clouds couldn’t dim shine of Death Cab for Cutie

Even with swirling thunder clouds causing a 45-minute weather delay, Death Cab for Cutie gave an electric performance at the U.S. Pavilion on Wednesday night.

“Lightning follows Death Cab. It always seems to find us,” Death Cab for Cutie’s frontman Ben Gibbard said on the breezy stage in front of devoted fans of all ages.

But the delay wasn’t without loss. Seattle’s Sea Lemon (led by Natalie Lew) was slated to make their debut in the Lilac City with the opening act but had to be pushed for time.

It had been nearly four years since Death Cab for Cutie toured through Spokane, but the crowd was hopeful that they would deliver like they did in 2021. And deliver did they.

Dressed in an all black slick outfit, Gibbard captivated concertgoers from the get-go with his expressive vocals and intoxicating energy.

Being that the 20th anniversary of their tour de force album, “Plans,” was coming up next month, it was only fitting that they leaned into playing hits from it, opening with the album’s first track, “Marching Bands of Manhattan.”

Immediately the band’s intricate guitar work and melancholic atmosphere traveled from the cluttered pit to the grassy hillsides of the downtown venue. The chatter of complaints about the weather delay – and perhaps gripes about literally anything else – quickly faded.

It’s nearly impossible to point out any regression in the band’s sound since they became a household name 20-plus years ago. If anything, recording several albums and performing live countless times has polished them into the group they are today.

And although the U.S. Pavilion is one of Spokane’s larger concert venues, intimacy was not lost on that muggy July evening. Throughout the set, Gibbard would set down his guitar, whether electric or acoustic, and make his way to the piano. One moment that still lingers in my psyche was when Gibbard dazzled on the keys while engulfed in a singular red spotlight as the band played the somber track “What Sara Said.” Paired with the buildup of percussion in the track’s bridge, Gibbard lyrics sliced through the wind gusts and struck a nerve in myself and those around me.

As the band wrapped up their set, they gifted fans a memory that they can hold dear to their hearts by performing “Stable Song” for the first time live.

“This is the first time we’ve played this ever. In Spokane, or anywhere else,” Gibbard said as he teed up the song to an eruption of cheers. It was somewhat dreamlike to witness the raw emotions of the song, like being in on a secret that nobody would believe if you told them.

There’s no telling when Death Cab will return next to Spokane. Whether that’s in another four years or even more, there’s no doubt that local audiences will be eagerly waiting for another chance to see the legendary indie rock band take the stage, with lightning likely to follow close behind.