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Beholden to no one

Death Cab for Cutie / Jack's Mannequin
Eagles Ballroom
Milwaukee, WI
Dec. 2, 2008

Death Cab for Cutie

Jack's Mannequin

Story and photos by Phil Bonyata

Indie darlings Death Cab for Cutie find themselves in that odd, but rewarding, transition between the spokesman for the musically independent minded everywhere and the platinum selling label debutante. The question is will they hold true to their musical independence or will the corporate financial muscle put the squeeze on their creativity?

Tuesday night at the Eagles Ballroom found little sign that Death Cab had backed down. Lead singer and true rock geek (second only to Weezers' Rivers Cuomo) did the unthinkable and left his trademark thick rimmed glasses on the bedroom dresser. In fact, having shed at least 25 pounds since I last reviewed them, Gibbard might soon become the inspiration for every heady nerd to finally throw out their beloved pocket protectors. Opening with "The Employment Pages" from We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes (2000) the band refined the edges on the mid-fi, slow rock number. The crowd swooned closer to the stage as the familiar strains of "The New Year" from their now classic Transatlanticism (2003) release. The song's convergent guitars, at first distanced then swirling together tighter to help connect the chorus, played nicely with Gibbard's sad and emotional retelling of the lyrics. The spartan stage was bathed in red and white lights as the various degrees of flannel shimmered like the early Christmas tree from the 1965 classic cartoon "A Charlie Brown Christmas." "Crooked Teeth," "Soul Meets Body" and "I Will Follow You into the Dark" all from Plans (2005) featured both stark lyrical flourishs and disarming guitars.

The Seattle based Death Cab for Cutie, who took the band name from the title of the song performed by the group the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band in The Beatles' 1967 film "Magical Mystery Tour," feature Ben Gibbard - (vocals, guitar, piano), Chris Walla - (guitar, piano), Nicholas Harmer - (bass) and Jason McGerr - (drums). "I Will Possess Your Heart" featured Gibbard's beautifully lunar voice while the band added a remote dissonance to the affair.

On stage, Gibbard is a swaying musical sage and a beautifully fragile figure as well. Closing the evening with the haunting of "Title And Registration" and the emotionally bleak "Transatlanticism," Death Cab for Cutie proved once again that they are beholden to no one.

Piano rock kings Jack's Mannequin aptly opened the show for Death Cab. Andrew McMahon, originally from Something Corporate, let's his emotional animalism drive the tempo of the music. The band followed suit with some hard hitting and well-crafted versions of "What Get's You Off," "Caves" and "Dark Blue." McMahon seems to conduct a mini symphony all alone on his keyboard while taking turns playing rock star either by roaming the stage or jumping off his piano. Andrew's battle for life (he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2005, but since has made a full recovery), as well as his renewed spirit make's Jack's Mannequin's music and lust for life transcend through every note of their music and through this night's thrilling performance.