The glove compartment is inaccurately named, and everybody knows it

We caught Death Cab for Cutie last night at the Ottawa Civic Centre. Fantastic, fantastic show. Enjoyment aside, it also left me feeling hipper, happier, and more handsome—that last one because we looked at the band’s press photos later that night (extraordinary talented but doofy-looking bunch, there).

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists opened up. I knew Ted Leo by name only. We’d visited Katie back about two years ago, and she and her then-boyfriend couldn’t stop talking about how much they loved him, the conversation clocking in at around sixteen tlpm (“Ted Leo”’s Per Minute). Now that I’ve seen him, I don’t blame them. Holy shit does that guy put on a good show. Plainest looking guy ever, looking like your middle-aged uncle, but he kills on guitar. I want to pick up an album, but I think he’s been doing his thing for fifteen years so I don’t know where to start. Help me out, Katie.

Then it was Death Cab. Two things surprised me about the band. First, the way Ben Gibbard plays guitar when he sings. He’s very… flaily. I’m sure there’s a better word to describe it but I can’t think of what that might be (and though the magic of YouTube (and some dude’s cell phone camera,) you can see for yourself). Isha put it best: “I thought he’d just stare down at his shoes the whole time.” The second surprising thing was that they put on a bona fide rock show. The typical Death Cab song is unhurried, contemplative; I didn’t expect them to rock out that much. But they jumped and flailed, rocked out and horked. Yup, that’s right—Ben Gibbard: huge spitter. And not in the I’m singing the big Broadway number and can’t help myself style, more hork one into the air so it’s backlit by the stage lights and the whole audience can have a look. So, yeah, I guess that makes it three surprising things about the band.

The set list, as far as I can recall and in no particular order, included: “We Looked Like Giants,” “Transatlanticism,” “The Sound of Settling,” “Title and Registration,” “The New Year,” “A Movie Script Ending,” “Photobooth,” “What Sarah Said,” “Crooked Teeth,” “Your Heart is an Empty Room,” “I Will Follow You Into The Dark,” “Soul Meets Body,” “Marching Bands of Manhattan,” “405,” “Pictures in an Exhibition,” and some random song. If you’re unfamiliar with the band, you can take a listen to what they offer on their main page, and their media page. Ted Leo has also got a handle on this newfangled MP3 technology, so you can hear some of this stuff too. If you follow no other link that I’ve got here, at least check out his link for “Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?” So good.