The rain couldn’t stop Death Cab for Cutie from putting on a phenomenal show at Merriweather
Post Pavilion on Tuesday. Despite torrential downpours leading up to the concert, Death Cab
for Cutie and Japanese Breakfast teamed up to put on an incredible show. Death Cab for Cutie
is on tour promoting their 11th album, I Built You a Tower, which they released last month. The
“I Built You a Tower World Tour” began earlier this month in Minneapolis and will continue for
the next several months. Japanese Breakfast joined the group to open a handful of shows up
and down the east coast.
Death Cab for Cutie is an American alternative group with a discography spanning over three
decades. They released their 11th studio album, “I Built You a Tower” at the beginning of the
summer, their first album in over twenty years released through an independent record label.
They announced a supporting tour at the beginning of the year, and tapped Japanese
Breakfast, Jay Som, Nation of Language, and a few others as the opening acts.
Japanese Breakfast is an indie pop group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Fronted by singer-
songwriter and author Michelle Zauner, the group’s dreamy sound was a stark contrast from
Death Cab for Cutie’s headlining set. Japanese Breakfast’s 2021 single ‘Be Sweet’ helped
propel them into the indie music spotlight. Their opening set was brief but highly energetic and
helped set the tone for the evening.
In between sets, fans who had lawn tickets were ushered into the pavilion to take shelter amid
the strong rain and thunderstorm. Fans crowded into every available seat, lined the aisles and
every covered section of the pavilion, giving the massive venue an intimate feel. By the time
Death Cab for Cutie took to the stage, nearly every attendee was crowded together waiting in
anticipation.
Death Cab for Cutie opened their set with an electrifying performance of “Riptides”, a single off
their latest album. Their energy continued throughout the performance, washing away the
challenges the rain had brought earlier. Lead singer Ben Gibbard was highly engaging, sharing
anecdotes with the crowd between songs. At one point, he revealed that he had accidentally
stolen a joke about the recent Cyclospora outbreak that Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner
had made onstage. He repeated the joke once again, then dedicated an acoustic rendition of “I
Will Follow You Into the Dark” to her.
Death Cab for Cutie knows how to put on a show, and gave it their best despite the unpleasant
weather. They brought a crowd of thousands together and made one of the DMV’s largest
venues feel like a small club. With over thirty years of hits, Death Cab for Cutie shows no sign of
slowing down. The “I Built You a Tower World Tour” will continue across North America through
the rest of the summer. This fall, they’ll embark on the European and Australian legs of the tour
before wrapping up in November.
FINAL GRADE: A+
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