It’s hard to find two figures more evocative of the early aughts indie rock spirit than Jenny Lewis and Ben Gibbard. With Lewis’ Rilo Kiley and Gibbard’s Death Cab For Cutie, each artist and their respective bands captured different ends of the spectrum in sounds that would define the era. With Rilo Kiley’s steering towards folk-pop and alt-country and Death Cab’s gradual progression of a bigger indie rock sound that was lamely and sometimes inaccurately lumped in with emo music, it was something of a surprise when these two characters came together to release a single album of dancey indie pop with Jimmy Tamborello under the moniker The Postal Service. Give Up became a massive success and connected these artists to fans who may not have known about either of their main projects. Twenty years later, its the impact of The Postal Service and Death Cab on future millennials is clear as Gibbard has gathered both groups for a co-headlining tour to celebrate two landmark albums. On Wednesday, May 15th, that tour came to Portland, Oregon, for a sold-out show at the Moda Center.
There may be no other generation as obsessed with nostalgia as millennials, and they’re willing to shell out their attention and dollars for it. Without discounting the artistry of The Postal Service and Death Cab, this obsession at least partially explains the ability of these acts to sell out arenas all of these years later. Many of us in our 30s and 40s discovered this music in our formative years. This also explained the crowd – mostly of this demographic – eagerly singing along as Gibbard and company took the stage and launched straight into their 2003 album Transatlanticism. Over the next fifty minutes, they would make their way through it, following the exact track listing. The album is actually fairly quiet and moody, and it was interesting to see the band translate it to the arena setting. Gibbard’s prowling of the stage and dramatic guitar movements – not to mention his distinctively soft voice still sounding exactly the same – amplified the impact of songs like “Lightness” and “Title and Registration.” Bouncier, poppier fare like “The Sound of Settling” and the crashing rock of “Tiny Vessels” also shined. The album’s sprawling title track was a peak emotional moment that saw the arena glowing with cell phone lights. By the time the band closed with the poignant folk of “A Lack of Color,” they had fully transported many fans back to a more youthful and impressionable time.
Following a quick stage turnover, Gibbard returned to the stage decked out in white and accompanied by his Postal Service bandmates. Once again, the band stuck to the exact track listing as they traversed through Give Up. Iconic and beloved songs like “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight” and “Such Great Heights” ensured the set kicked off with plenty of momentum and danceability. With a crisp sound that accentuated the clean electronica production of the album and an arena-worth light show, the songs sounded impeccable enough. They had most of the audience singing along to every word. Onstage, Gibbard and Lewis interacted as if reunited lovers, harmonizing vocals and trading guitar licks in a way that showed they still actually enjoy playing these songs night after night.
Give or take the occasional flourish – Gibbard jumping on drums, extra layers of electronic textures and beats, some crowd chant-a-longs, and longer instrumental breakdowns on a couple of tunes – the band played Give Up nearly the same as the recording. This was what the audience wanted so they could savor the nostalgia of when they first heard The Postal Service. While many acts joke about playing their biggest hit twice in a set, they actually did it when Gibbard and Lewis returned to the stage to encore with an acoustic duet “Remix” of “Such Great Heights” that was seemingly a nod to the huge success Iron & Wine had with the hushed, folky rendition of the song. This gave the fans one more chance to sing along and soak up the moment before all members of each band returned to close the night with a fun take on Depeche Mode’s catchy New Wave classic “Enjoy the Silence.”
