Death Cab For Cutie Shares The Audio Of Their First Ever Show On Its 20-Year Anniversary


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On this date 20 years ago, Death Cab For Cutie made a huge step in their journey as a band: They played their first ever concert, an intimate house show hosted by a friend in Bellingham, Washington. Now, Ben Gibbard has decided to unearth the audio, which was recorded simply on a dictaphone, and post it on Bandcamp as a single 29-minute audio file. Proceeds from the $4 download go to benefit Aurora Commons, a Seattle non-profit that bills itself as “a welcoming space for our unhoused neighbors to rest, prepare a meal, connect to resources and collectively create a healthy and vibrant community.”

Gibbard shared a note about the release and talked about the show, saying it came right after the band’s cassette demo You Can Play These Songs With Chords, and that concessions for the gig consisted of a bowl of microwave popcorn that was passed around:

“This is a recording of the first ever Death Cab For Cutie show. It was made by our friend Trevor Adams on his dictaphone at The Pacer House in Bellingham, Washington on November 22, 1997. Sprawled across couches and sitting cross-legged on the floor were 25 of our closest friends and fellow musicians. Everyone played acoustic or semi-acoustic with no PA. Trevor made and passed bowl after bowl of microwave popcorn because he was (and I assume still is) a great host.

Chris Walla and I had just finished the You Can Play These Songs With Chords cassette and we thought it would be fun to play a few shows around Bellingham to celebrate the release. We recruited Nick Harmer to play bass and Walla’s childhood friend Nathan Good to play drums. None of us thought we were starting a band nor did our ambitions for DCFC extend very far past this particular evening. We simply thought it would be fun to play these songs for our friends before moving on to other things.

I remain forever grateful to Trevor for inviting us to play in his living room 20 years ago today. It was one of the greatest nights of my life at the time and its significance has only grown since.”

Listen above, download here, and check out the setlist below.

1. “Your Bruise”
2. “President Of What?”
3. “Champagne From A Paper Cup”
4. “Amputations”
5. “Two Cars”
6. “Pictures In An Exhibition”

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