Death Cab For Cutie / Pool Kids – I Built You a Tower Tour Live Gallery & Review from 3Olympia, Dublin 16.09.26

With festival season now firmly in the rear-view, Dublin’s 3Olympia is gearing up for a busy end to the year. Few bands could have provided a more fitting bridge between the summer stages and here than Seattle’s Death Cab For Cutie.

Arriving in Dublin on their “I Built You A Tower” tour, the band brought three decades of indie rock history with them. Across a sprawling set, Death Cab moved repeatedly between newer material and the songs that established them as one of the defining alternative bands of the 2000’s. It was a particularly welcome return to Dublin for a band who have become familiar faces on these shores. Their most recent Irish appearance came in March 2023 at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, while their previous visit before that was to the Olympia itself back in January 2019.

Opening with “Riptides”, the first track from I Built You A Tower, the band quickly made the case for their latest chapter. Ben Gibbard, whose voice has remained the emotional centre of Death Cab’s music throughout their career, sounded remarkably at home in the 3Olympia. The new material didn’t feel like something being forced between the classics. It was given the same weight and space as the songs the crowd have spent years with.

That became increasingly apparent as the set moved into “Roman Candles”, “The New Year” and “Punching the Flowers”. The latter part of Death Cab’s catalogue has sometimes been overshadowed by the enormous legacy of “Transatlanticism” and “Plans”, but live the newer songs sit comfortably alongside.

Then came “The Ghosts of Beverly Drive”, followed by what was, for me, the night’s standout moment, “Black Sun.” There is something about Black Sun that feels tailor-made for a theatre like the Olympia. Its tension builds without ever needing to blow the lid. Live, it carried an enormous amount of atmosphere, with the band allowing the song’s darker edges to breathe.

If there was one song missing from the night, it was “Brothers on a Hotel Bed”. Its absence was perhaps the only personal disappointment from an otherwise well-curated set. With so much of Death Cab’s catalogue represented, it felt like there was always going to be one favourite left standing outside the door. Unfortunately, for me anyway, it was that one.

The title track, “I Built You A Tower” followed on before the band worked through “Company Calls,” “Pep Talk” and “What Sarah Said.” For some of the quieter moments, Gibbard moved between the front of the stage and a keyboard positioned towards the rear. That move just subtly changed the atmosphere of the room.

The intimacy of the night reached its peak with “I Will Follow You Into the Dark”. Few songs in Death Cab’s catalogue require much embellishment and this is certainly one of them. In contrast, “I Will Possess Your Heart” was one of the night’s more muscular performances… The song’s hypnotic instrumental opening remains one of Death Cab’s most memorable sections. “Grapevine Fires” and “Stone Over Water” pushed the set towards its final stretch.

“How Heavenly a State,” “Cath…”, “Crooked Teeth” and “Trap Door” kept things moving before “Here to Forever” and “Soul Meets Body” provided two particularly warm moments towards the end of the main set.

The setlist design deserves credit. Rather than simply assembling a greatest-hits package, the band used their catalogue as a timeline, weaving newer songs into some of the records that made them such an important part of modern indie rock. There were deep cuts, newer material, fan favourites and enough familiar choruses. The result was a show that celebrated Death Cab For Cutie’s past, without any sense that they are trapped by it.

Three decades on, Death Cab may have really built themselves a tower. They stand on top of an undeniable legacy and there wasn’t much more we could have asked for on the night.

Pool Kids took on support duties for the night, undoubtedly winning over plenty of new fans along the way.

Pool Kids photos & set-list:

Set-list:
I Hope You’re Right
Physics
Last Word
Dani
Easier Said Than Done
Talk Too Much
Conscious

Death Cab For Cutie photos & set-list:

Set-list:
Riptides
Roman Candles
The New Year
Punching the Flowers
The Ghosts of Beverly Drive
Black Sun
I Built You a Tower (a)
Company Calls
Pep Talk
What Sarah Said
I Will Follow You Into the Dark
I Will Possess Your Heart
Grapevine Fires
Stone Over Water
How Heavenly a State
Cath…
Crooked Teeth
Trap Door
Here to Forever
Soul Meets Body
_________________________
Champagne From a Paper Cup
Marching Bands of Manhattan
Tiny Vessels
Transatlanticism

Photos & Words by Myles Dunne – @MylesDunnePhoto