Last Night: Death Cab & Fleet Foxes in St. Louis

Photo of J. Tillman by Brent Holzapfel

Who: Death Cab for Cutie & Fleet Foxes
Where: Fabulous Fox Theatre, St. Louis, Missouri
When: Monday, October 13

Annie Zaleski, music editor for our sister paper in St. Louis (and my alma mater), The Riverfront Times, attended last night's Death Cab-Fleet Foxes show at the Fabulous Fox, and had some very kind words to say about our local heroes. Following are a couple choice excerpts.

Zaleski On Death Cab: "The band’s catalog is remarkably consistent, from the shimmering Brit homage “A Movie Script Ending” to the cinnamon-pop of “Soul Meets Body” and soaring “Marching Bands of Manhattan.” Even “Your Bruise” smoldered and didn’t sound thin – or dated. “Why’d You Want to Live Here” was even more ferocious, not the least because Gibbard was having guitar problems and ended up singing most of the song without playing his part. (Clearly frustrated, he looked at one point like he was going to throw his guitar off of his body, and made sure to say, “I want a do-over of that song,” after it ended.)"

Zaleski on Fleet Foxes: "Although Fleet Foxes draws comparisons to My Morning Jacket and Band of Horses, its music thrives on simplicity, not bombast. The band members remain nearly still onstage -- save for drummer/percussionist J. Tillman, a burly figure who’s always in motion creating festive percussion accompaniment using tambourine, mallets and maracas. Breathtaking and angelic four-part harmonies incorporate rounds (an elementary school music class staple), while the band members – most of whom resembled forest elves or gnomes, thanks to haircut and delicate facial features – utilized minimal, zen-like guitar plucking."