Death Cab For Cutie

Venue: Fort Gate @ Fort Canning Park, Singapore
Date: 7th March 2012
Promoter: LAMC Productions
Review by: Ee Von
Special Thanks: Andre and the LAMC Productions team
Photos by SJ

The inadvertent discovery of ‘Narrow Stairs’ has brought about bittersweet recollections of the year 2008, conveniently contributing to an instantaneous agreement to attend their one-night only performance at Singapore.

Indeed, this is a reference to Ben, Nick, Chris and Jason, also collectively recognized as the band Death Cab for Cutie whom recently made their appearance on the 7th March 2012 at Fort Canning Park, Singapore. Revisiting this well-maintained and clean park brings back good memories of past concerts held at the same venue.

I recall vividly how thrilled these gig-goers were (myself included!), queuing impatiently to get into the concert venue, only to race each other to the front of the stage. Even the weather was adhering to its role. At 8.20pm, the concert zone was already filled with fans cheering, summoning for their appearance. The band finally arrived at half past eight to answer the pleas of the crowd. Though graced with a simple stage setup, equipped with only the bare minimum of their musical instruments, the beat to the first tune sets the momentum for that very night.

Sensing familiarity from the extended introductions, a smile was gleefully plastered on my face upon recognizing the beats to the sounds of I Will Possess Your Heart. And yes, I ashamedly admit that this was that very song that moved and converted me into a Death Cab for Cutie follower. As cliché as it may sound, it was beyond surreal to witness it being belted out live; many were seen dancing to this gratifying beat. Sporadic engagement with the followers was also evident; from playful promotions of their latest album ‘Codes And Keys’ to their constant convey their love, appreciation, and gratitude to the Asian fans present.

Death Cab for Cutie, known for being an emotionally engaging band, played songs from their multiple albums. It was like going through an encyclopedia of the band’s life cycle and transformation in 90 minutes. Their performance contained many songs from their 2005 album (Plans), such as Crooked Teeth, Soul Meets Body, and What Sarah Said, to more current material which included Cath…, You Are A Tourist, and Codes And Keys.

Ben’s solo of I Will Follow You Into The Dark has proven to be a show-stopper when they detected an abrupt silence from the audience. How nonchalant and soulful he sounded caught the heart of many, further pursuing them to sing-along and dance.

Leading up to the solo, there was a ten-minute interval. This had sparked chants and requests for an immediate encore by the eager followers. The band further ended the night with their encore songs comprising Meet Me On The Equinox, Blacking Out The Friction / St. Peter’s Cathedral, Tiny Vessels, and Transatlanticism. Many were seen humming and yearning for more after having the band bid their goodbyes, promising to return in the future.

At least I got this for certain that, my heart now skips a different beat whenever I listen to Death Cab For Cutie.