The Postal Service / Death Cab for Cutie - OVO Hydro, Glasgow, 23 Aug 2024

What Gibbard and co. have orchestrated here goes beyond mere nostalgia

In the pantheon of indie rock, few years loom as large as 2003. It was the year that gave us The White Stripes Elephant, Yeah Yeah Yeahs Fever to Tell, and The Shins Chutes Too Narrow. But in this embarrassment of riches, one man managed to outdo them all, not with one seminal album, but two. Ben Gibbard, the bespectacled troubadour of millennial malaise, released Death Cab for Cuties Transatlanticism and The Postal Services Give Up within months of each other, cementing his status as the poet laureate of sensitive indie kids everywhere.


The show was held at the OVO Hydro, photo by Stewart Fullerton

Fast forward 21 years, and Gibbard has decided to take us on a nostalgia trip of epic proportions. The Give Up & Transatlanticism tour, initially conceived as a 20th-anniversary celebration and extended due to overwhelming demand, is a musical marathon that sees Gibbard performing both albums in their entirety each night. Its a Herculean task, one that requires him to embody two distinct musical personas and revisit the emotional landscapes of his 20-something self, all in the span of a few hours.

As the tour rolls into Glasgows OVO Hydro, anticipation is at fever pitch. For self-professed superfans such as myself, this isnt just a concert; its a pilgrimage, a chance to relive the soundtrack of my formative years in all its glory. The concept is simple yet audacious: Death Cab for Cutie will perform Transatlanticism in full, followed by Gibbard reuniting with Jimmy Tamborello and Jenny Lewis to bring Give Up to life as The Postal Service. Its less like a show and more like a trip through time, calibrated to transport us back to an era when our biggest worry was whether our crush would notice our carefully curated MSN away message.


Death Cab For Cutie - photo by Stewart Fullerton

Before Gibbard and co. take the stage, were treated to a set from Glasgows own Teenage Fanclub. Its a fitting choice, not just because of their local hero status, but because of Gibbards well-documented admiration for the band. In 2017, Gibbard paid homage to the Scottish indie rockers by recording a full-album cover of their 1991 classic Bandwagonesque.

Watching Teenage Fanclub warm up the crowd with their signature blend of power pop and jangly guitars, its easy to see the through-line from their sound to Gibbards own melodic sensibilities. As they close their set with The Concept, you can almost imagine a young Ben somewhere in the Pacific Northwest, headphones on, absorbing every note and filing it away for future inspiration.

The main event kicks off with Death Cab and Transatlanticism, and from the opening chords of The New Year, its clear that time has done little to dull the albums emotional punch. Gibbards voice, a curious mix of world-weariness and wide-eyed wonder, fills the Hydro with a tenderness that feels almost out of place in such a cavernous space.


Death Cab For Cutie - photo by Stewart Fullerton

But as the crowd joins in for the chorus of The Sound of Settling, the arena shrinks, transformed into the worlds largest, most earnest karaoke bar. Theres something almost comically on-the-nose about watching Gibbard perform this track in 2024. As he bounces across the stage of the Hydro, his boyish energy seemingly untouched by the passage of time, one cant help but marvel at the irony. Here we are, a sea of 30-and-40-somethings, gathered to relive the soundtrack of our formative years, settling into the very adulthood we once feared.

When the band launches into Tiny Vessels, the Hydro transforms into a confessional booth for 14,000 people. The songs opening guitar harmony, with its slightly off-kilter note, pierces like an arrow as Gibbard utters, "She was beautiful, but she didnt mean a thing to me". You can almost feel the collective wince of recognition from the audience - Gibbards unflinching honesty creates a mirror for self-reflection, forcing us to confront the complexities of our past relationships, whether we were the heartbreaker or the heartbroken.

The title track, Transatlanticism, serves as the emotional climax of the first set. As Gibbard repeats "I need you so much closer" with increasing urgency, the song builds to a crescendo that feels like a tidal wave of repressed emotion. Its a cathartic moment, where every long-distance relationship, every missed connection, every "what if" hangs in the air. Its almost too much to bear, but isnt that why were all here? To feel everything, all at once, together! A chance for everyone in the room to scream into the void about that one person who always felt just out of reach.


Death Cab For Cutie - photo by Stewart Fullerton

After a brief intermission - just long enough for the crowd to wonder if theyre too old for another beer - Gibbard returns, this time flanked by Jimmy Tamborello (aka. Dntel) and Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley, ready to dive into The Postal Services Give Up. The shift in energy is palpable. Where Transatlanticism felt like a journey inward, Give Up bursts forth with synth-pop effervescence and digital heartbeats. This isnt just any album; its a cult classic that has spent two decades growing in stature, its influence far outstripping its modest origins.

The District Sleeps Alone Tonight kicks things off, its glitchy beats and mournful melody a perfect encapsulation of urban loneliness. But its Such Great Heights that truly ignites the crowd. As soon as those iconic opening notes hit, its like someones flipped a switch. Suddenly, were all 19 again, convinced that this song was written specifically about our lives.


The Postal Service - photo by Stewart Fullerton

Lewiss presence adds a new dimension to these familiar songs. Her vocals on Nothing Better transform the track from a solo lament into a bittersweet duet, two people talking past each other in the wake of a breakup. Its a reminder of the complexities Gibbard managed to pack into these seemingly simple pop songs. From the nervous energy of Clark Gable to the wistful longing of Brand New Colony, each song is greeted like an old friend, one thats been there through breakups, makeups, and everything in between.

As the night draws to a close with an acoustic rendition of Such Great Heights and a surprise cover of Depeche Modes Enjoy the Silence, theres a palpable sense of bittersweetness in the air. Weve spent the evening reliving some of the most emotionally charged moments of our youth, but were doing it from the perspective of adults whove (mostly) made it through to the other side.


The Postal Service - photo by Stewart Fullerton

What Gibbard and co. have orchestrated here goes beyond mere nostalgia. Its a communal exorcism of sorts, a chance to reconcile our past and present selves. To recognize that while we may have grown up, the emotions that fuelled these songs - love, longing, confusion, hope - are still very much a part of who we are.

Filing out of the Hydro, back into the gloaming Glasgow air, Gibbards lyrics echo in my head. We may be older, we may be settling, but somewhere inside us, theres still that kid who believes in the transformative power of the perfect pop song. And for one night, at least, that belief felt justified.

Review by Fraser Doig, photography by Stewart Fullerton

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