Death Cab For Cutie + MagikMagik Orchestra*
Massey Hall
Toronto, ON
April 19

Death Cab For Cutie has long possessed a flair for the dramatic. Looking up to the rafters of Toronto’s historic Massey Hall, Ben Gibbard recalled the bands last visit there – a performance that saw him dressed up in full Devo garb and belting out “Whip It.” While that turn admittedly came on Halloween, this recent appearance ramped up the theatrics with the addition of an 8-piece string ensemble – the Magik*Magik Orchestra. A brief classical overture kicked things off before Gibbard took the stage for ‘Passenger Seat’, soon to be joined by his three bandmates.

Jason McGerr’s drumming aptitude was immediately evident on “Grapevine Fires” and “Codes & Keys,” the latter of which Gibbard pointed out was among the first tracks that Magik*Magik maestro Minna Choi had put her stamp on. Choi’s contribution to ‘Death Of An Interior Decorator’, a song “kinda written by Woody Allen” according to Gibbard, sounded as if it had always been there. While the string accompaniment did at times seem perfunctory, there were many more instances of seamless philharmonic integration.

Gibbard’s songwriting never strayed from the spotlight, and he had plenty of chances to show off his instrumental skill as well. “You Are A Tourist,” for example, saw the frontman looping his own voice for backing purposes and executing the catchy lead guitar line. The stage banter, a bit lengthy at times, included Gibbard’s confession that he constantly felt the urge to “air bow” along with the orchestra the way one would air guitar while listening to Jimmy Page.

The meat of the set began with “Bend To Squares,” a cut from 1998’s Something About Airplanes. With its vivid lighting cues and striking bursts of sound, this was the most powerful number of the night. “Army Corps Of Architects” was briefly flubbed during the intro, but the moody “What Sarah Said” quickly erased that memory with its methodical pace and the band fading out for a string finale. “Soul Meets Body” aroused visible passion from the players on stage before “Stay Young, Go Dancing” closed the set proper with a useful parting message.

As was to be expected in the encore, a shrieking eruption greeted the opening chords of “I Will Possess Your Heart,” the most revered Death Cab tune of them all. The compliant Canadian audience cheered again at the lyrical mention of Calgary, as Choi and company shared one of their finest accompaniments. The gradual build and climax of ubiquitous closer “Transatlanticism” sent the entranced crowd packing amidst satisfied murmurs, their prized thespians having risen to the occasion once again.