Death Cab for Cutie Plays Surprise Acoustic Set at the Showbox

Barsuk Records kicked off its 15th anniversary celebration last night at Showbox at the Market with great sets by The Prom and Mates of State. But before the night’s headliner Nada Surf played its album Let Go in its entirety, there was a surprise opening act. Barsuk’s most famous act, Death Cab for Cutie took the stage for an unexpected acoustic set.

The band played only Barsuk era tunes, which meant songs from Transatlanticism, The Photo Album, We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes, and Something About Airplanes. The set was a mix of fan favorite songs like “Title and Registration” and “A Movie Script Ending” with lesser known gems like “I Was a Kaleidoscope” and “405.” While Death Cab had a wobbly moment or two with the really old tracks (though drummer Jason McGerr did not miss a beat on his cocktail drum kit), the set showcased the band’s songwriting core and closed out strong with a rendition of Transatlanticism‘s “The Sound of Settling.”

The show was being captured by the upstart local concert recording app Lively, so there’s a good chance that those who missed Death Cab’s acoustic set will be available to download (for a fee) in short order.

Barsuk Records 15th Anniversary
Thru Nov 10, various venues, sold out