Death Cab/Ted Leo show

In honor of Election day, today's post focuses on two politically informed groups - Death Cab for Cutie and Ted Leo/Pharmacists. I had the opportunity to see the two play together last Friday at the lovely, if not a little staid setting of the Providence Performing Arts Center. The 3000 seat theater provided for an amazing visual and listening experience, but the true experience was augmented by the almost debilitatingly funny clash of generations. The crowd was largely dominated by high schoolers and their older college-aged counterparts replete with their camera phones that were in perpetual use shooting high quality images of the bands.
Juxtaposed with the youngsters was the crack squad of blue-haired ushers (average age: 74) decked out in their white cable-knit cardigans. Can someone give these poor seniors some ear plugs?

Ted Leo/Pharmacists played an energetic 35 minute set focusing mostly on The Tyranny of Distance ("Biomusicology", "Dial Up", "Timorous Me", "My Vien Ilin") and Shake the Sheets ("Walking to Do", "Me and Mia"). With the exception of "Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone", Hearts of Oak was largely ignored. They did break out one new song "Armybound" which Ted had posted on his website several months ago. The show featured the usual comic ramblings between songs and his fashion choice of a quasi Air Force flightsuit was to be commended (I think). While the set had few holes, it became obvious that this is a band that thrives in a club setting.

Death Cab, on the other hand, used the vastness of space to their great advantage. The band that employs so many layers of texture aurally augmented their sound with a bordering-on-Pink Floyd lightshow. Now I cannot say that I am that knowledgable about the band. I saw them once before, pre-The OC, in 2004 with Pretty Girls Make Graves (once again, I had gone to see the opening band only to stay and be impressed by the headliner). In the two years since that show, Death Cab have really fine-tuned their show for a larger audience. Judging by all the adolescents singing along, the setlist featured many "hits"; while the band worked hard at challenging the crowd with multiple attempts at Sonic Youth meets Sun Ra Arkestra noise collage freakouts (which frankly, totally worked). I left once again impressed.

Ted Leo/Pharmacists
Biomusicology (mp3)
Bleeding Powers (mp3)
Walking Through (mp3)

Death Cab for Cutie
Title and Registration (mp3)
Wait (mp3)
A Move Script Ending (mp3)
Song for Kelly Huckaby (mp3)
For What Reason (mp3)
Champagne From a Paper Cup (mp3)