This Saturday, October 3, at the Élysée Montmartre, Ben Gibbard and his crew are back in Paris to promote I Built You A Tower, their eleventh studio album. For this sold-out date, Death Cab For Cutie invited the Floridian quartet Pool Kids to handle a support set that was as understated as it was effective.
Pool Kids
Before a room that was still far from full, POOL KIDS takes the stage at the Élysée Montmartre. Tasked with opening the night, the Florida four-piece uses this short slot to present a repertoire that is as technically accomplished as it is emotionally charged. Here, there is no elaborate staging or intricate lighting: just a pale blue wash bathing the stage. Yet the lack of theatrics is no obstacle. Fueled by an energy as sincere as it is communicative, the band asserts its universe at the crossroads of indie rock and emo rock. The guitars line with complex melodic hooks, the tempo shifts are relentless, and the crescendos rise with intensity, quickly grabbing the attention of a crowd still getting its bearings.
Between songs, the exchanges are frequent. Christine Goodwyne and her bandmates regularly step up to express their pleasure at being there and to thank Death Cab For Cutie for taking them on this tour. We learn that this is the final European date for both groups, which probably explains the level of commitment they bring to their performance. Especially since several friends of the musicians have made the trip for the occasion.
The performance rests largely on the lead singer’s stage presence, whose powerful voice and infectious energy do not go unnoticed. In just seven tracks, Pool Kids manage to win over the audience, especially with “Easier Said Than Done” and “Talk Too Much,” two songs that perfectly crystallize the balance between emotional urgency and melodic effectiveness that defines the band. More surprisingly, between two numbers, the singer doesn’t hesitate to urge the crowd, not very delicately, to head over to the merch stand to show their support (one hopes the message landed).
After a frenzied finale, the group leaves the stage to the applause of a crowd clearly won over. A successful opening act for a night that has only just begun.
Death Cab For Cutie
As the room fills up during Pool Kids’ set, blue spots give way to amber lighting that wraps around the stage as the crew prepares the American band’s instruments. It is precisely 8:30 PM when the Élysée Montmartre sinks into darkness. On a backdrop of an electronic intro and a plume of smoke, white beams sweep the stage as Death Cab For Cutie take their places to the applause of an audience that is clearly eager.
The first notes of “Riptides,” from their latest album, echo through the hall. A rather logical opening choice for a song that moves forward with restraint and delicacy. Rather than a thunderous start, the Americans opt to plunge the room immediately into a warm, contemplative atmosphere. “Roman Candles” adds more tension before “The New Year” provokes the first genuine reactions from the audience. A true classic of the band, the track acts almost as a bridge between the different generations of fans in attendance tonight.
The start of the concert is notably balanced and serves as a reminder that Death Cab For Cutie is not merely a nostalgia machine. The band continues to champion its newer material with conviction, such as “Punching The Flowers,” or the perfectly stage-ready “I Built You a Tower (a).” Not to mention crowd-pleasing classics like “Black Sun,” sung with fervor by the venue.
Ben Gibbard occasionally takes the microphone between songs and enjoys reminding the audience of his affection for the French capital: “Last time we came here, three years ago, there were protests everywhere. This time, we’re burning trash cans. This city is wild, and that’s why we love coming here!” A remark that amuses the Parisian crowd greatly.
Between Raw Emotion and Collective Catharsis
Midway through the set, Death Cab For Cutie delivers several of its most emblematic songs in a row. Gibbard lays aside the guitar to sit at the piano for “What Sarah Said,” before one of the night’s most anticipated moments. On “I Will Follow You Into The Dark,” the singer is alone on stage, simply accompanied by his acoustic guitar. Sing-along by a large portion of the audience, the song seems to suspend time for several minutes. The contrast is even more striking when “I Will Possess Your Heart” begins. Driven by its long hypnotic instrumental introduction and a masterfully crafted light show, the track captivates the room instantly.
In a more melancholy vein, “Grapevine Fires” benefits from a carefully designed staging where lighting effects and wisps of smoke intensify the song’s atmosphere. “Cath…” and “Crooked Teeth” remind us of the group’s excellent songwriting and this ability, intact after more than twenty years in the business, to mingle emotion, melancholy, and pop efficiency.
A Final Unstoppable Push
Despite a few tracks that are less striking, the night’s conclusion brings a luminous energy with “You Are A Tourist” before “Soul Meets Body” closes the main set to a remarkable ovation. The anticipation for an encore becomes loud and enthusiastic, and the crowd is well compensated. Four additional songs extend this already generous evening. This time, the spotlight is on some of the band’s older material. “Marching Bands Of Manhattan” and “Tiny Vessels” plunge the audience back into the realms of the albums Plans and Transatlanticism.
But it is obviously “Transatlanticism” that marks the concert’s peak. Its monumental crescendo, built with patience and precision, reminds why it remains one of the most memorable tracks in the band’s discography. Ben Gibbard then traverses the stage from one end to the other, frequently approaching the front rows to sing up close to the audience. A final moment of communion that completes the conquest of the Élysée Montmartre.
Death Cab For Cutie has once again proven that they remain at the peak of their craft. Switching between intimate moments and soaring crescendos with ease, the band delivered a performance as generous as it was moving. Guided by a well-crafted setlist, this Paris show allowed revisiting the different facets of their career while underscoring the enduring strength of their compositions. When the final notes of “Transatlanticism” finally fade, there is only a conquered room, aware that it has shared a rare interlude with one of the most endearing bands of its generation.
