By Ben Baroncini
Daily Bruin Contributor
The “Death and Dismemberment Tour” rocked a packed
house on Friday night at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles.
Each band brought its own distinct style, vibe and fans to the
mix in its sets. First to perform was Seattle-based Aveo, whose
Morrissey-esque vocal style and searing clean guitar sounds were
complimented by the passionate stage antics of singer/guitarist
William Wilson. Despite the depth that permeated the songs of this
trio, the overall presentation of the band was mediocre and
less-than-original at best.
Lack of originality was certainly not a characteristic of the
next act, the Dismemberment Plan. The style of this band is almost
beyond description. Take a mix of Primus, the Talking Heads, and
Pink Floyd; at times they sound exactly like them, at others they
couldn’t be more different.
By far the most interesting element of this band is Travis
Morrison, who takes care of vocals, guitar, keyboard and general
mayhem. With a constant smile on his face, Morrison led the
four-piece band with his seething, dynamic vocal range and rhythmic
bodily contortions. Occasional microphone-fellatio added to the odd
image of the singer.
Communication with the crowd continued throughout the set as
fans screamed for attention, and Morrison responded with grace and
wit.
Midway through the set, a female fan repeatedly screamed,
“I love you!” to which the unpredictable Morrison
responded, “Sorry, I already love him (pointing to a fan in
the crowd), so you’re fucked!” The obsessed fan
continued to scream however, which elicited another response from
Morrison, “All right, I’d like to thank my mom for
coming out to the performance tonight, now let’s move
on.”
Early in the set the band made the unusual decision of inviting
fans onstage to dance along while they performed. A dozen or so
fans were elated to shake their booties to the rockin’
rhythms and unusual yet tasteful melodic lines. Until the end of
the song, that is, at which time lead guitarist/keyboardist Jason
Caddell and Morrison yelled “Security!” jokingly
taunting the fans to get off stage.
Overall the Dismemberment Plan had one thing on their mind
““ they came to please. With their energetic and original
performance the band certainly left all those who had come to see
them with huge smiles on their faces, though none seemed larger
than those of the performers.
The highlight of the night was by far the no-nonsense, heartfelt
performance by headliners Death Cab for Cutie. The silly attitude
of the crowd, which remained from DP’s set, was quickly
replaced by a more somber tone. They have a way of reminding the
listener of happier times, such as time spent with a long lost
love, whose once-abandoned memory is revived by their consoling
arrangements.
The vibe fluxed between warm cuddly feelings to introspective
sadness as the Bellingham, Washington natives lead the crowd with
their bittersweet lyrics. These words were transmitted through
balanced vocal melodies, which floated symbiotically between the
flowing guitars of singer-guitarist Ben Gibbard and guitarist Chris
Walla.
Walla’s guitar style is nothing short of innovative, novel
and uncompromising. From undulating undersea-scape volume swells
accented by delay, to well-placed crunchy arpeggios, Walla
complemented perfectly Gibbard’s guitar work and bassist
Nicholas Harmer’s accompaniment.
The most sincere and moving performance was that of singer Ben
Gibbard. The lyrics seemed to flow as if the songwriter had just
penned each song the previous day.
There were no shortcuts, none of the telltale signs of
road-weariness that often plague live performers. He simply sang,
and poured his heart out with every word.
Mid-set, bassist Harmer pointed to the fact that Gibbard had
become sick in the last few days, and was projectile vomiting about
10 minutes before the band was to perform. The crowd wildly cheered
in appreciation of his resolve to go on with the show.
Gibbard then remarked that it was ironic he became sick in Los
Angeles, as it may have been some sort of poetic justice. This was
in reference to their next song in the set from their most recent
LP titled “The Photo Album.” The song is titled
“Why You’d Want to Live Here,” and is about the
many less than pleasant aspects of L.A., such as its airport runway
smell and billboards that reach past the tallest buildings.
Death Cab for Cutie held nothing back. They played with vigor
and feeling, and despite the ill health of their front man, they
transported their fans into a realm of bliss while revealing
dimensions of their songs that are not quite as lucid in their
records.