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I BUILT YOU A TOWER TOUR
Live at The Greek
August 12th, 2026 Review by Stuart Karpel
To capture the essence of a Death Cab for Cutie concert, try to think back to the first time you truly felt free of responsibility. Whether that brings you back to memories of an unforgettable vacation or the innocence of childhood, that feeling of pure freedom is the perfect way to describe seeing the band live.
Last Sunday, more than 5,500 people from every corner of Los Angeles gathered at the Greek Theatre to experience Death Cab live and it was unlike any other that this venue has seen before. From the incredibly unique sound of Ben Gibbard’s singing voice, to the hum of instruments that climbed miles up Mount Hollywood, every song from their 24-track setlist sounded incredible.
The large stadium and stage – and the hills behind it – have seen countless artists since its opening in the ‘30s. Elton John, Liza Minnelli, Frank Sinatra, and so many historical performances have taken place here, and it remains a desired location even now. In other words, it’s not a shock to see a band as big as Death Cab featured on the marquee, marking the 17th show of their summer tour.\
Opening the show for the capacity crowd was Brooklyn’s own, Nation of Language. This Indy-Synth-Pop trio took the stage by storm. The band consists of Ian Richard Devaney (guitar and lead vocals), Aidan Noell (backing vocals and keys), and then there’s Alex MacKay (bass). It is simply amazing just how much noise three people can make without a drummer.
Their sound and vocals were sharp, and the early birds appreciated their energy. Apparently, there were New Yorkers in the crowd that knew their set. Opening with “A New Goodbye,” “September Again,” and “In Your Head.” Devney and Noell had great chemistry and MacKay could really slap the bass.
The crowd sang along to “Weak in Your Light,” “Inept Apollo,” “The Wall and I,” “Across That Fine Line,” and before you knew it – they were walking off to “I Was There.” The crowd was very happy with their performance, there were chants of “Gouge Away,” a Pixies cover that their fans wanted them to play. Perhaps the next time we see them they will play a longer set.
The band’s 2026 summer tour is in support of their new project, “I Built You a Tower.”
This was clearly exemplified with their first two songs of the night, “Full of Stars” and “Riptides,” kicking off the show with a couple of chart-toppers.
It was not surprising to see so many fans sing along as the group played their hearts out.
The setlist featured seven songs from the new album, five songs came from the 2005 album “Plans,” and the remainder were from various time periods of their discography. The new album is their most technically-sound project yet, and fans seem to agree as some tracks have reached more than three million plays.
Once the sun fully set and the band reached the middle of their setlist – performing “Black Sun,” “Photobooth,” and “Summer Skin” – they slowed down the mood to allow Gibbard to play everyone’s favorite acoustic solo, “I Will Follow You Into the Dark.”
The fans and band alike swayed and cheered every melody throughout the night, like palm trees whistling in the wind in unison. Although the Los Angeles city life that surrounds the Greek is known to be bustling and full of hustlers, it felt like the entirety of the city stopped to listen to Death Cab, as people passing by the stadium rolled their car windows down rather than listen to the radio.
By playing more fan-favorited tracks, like “Cath…” and “Crooked Teeth,” the group knew that it was time to bring out the big-guns for the upcoming finale. This was not the time of the night to hit the merch line or bathroom!
With the band’s amazing performance almost reaching the two-hour mark, they decided to end the set with “No Sunlight,” “Here to Forever,” and “Soul Meets Body.”
This seemingly did not feel like the end of the show though as the eager energy of the fans itched for more anthems, clapping and cheering loudly to give the band the flowers they deserve.
As the band walked off stage, the stage crew began to wrap up the auxiliary cables, but the cheering felt endless. Only two minutes after they had bowed and thanked everyone for coming to see them perform, they felt compelled by the fans’ roar of enjoyment and appeared back on stage to everyone’s surprise.
Their encore consisted of “Title Track,” “Transatlanticism,” “Marching Bands of Manhattan,” and ironically, “A Movie Script Ending” to truly end the movie-like concert.
Not only did it fulfill the wishes of super fans and everyday concertgoers to see the band back onstage, it greatly represented the ideals of why the band decided to go on tour in the first place: Connection with their fans.
SHOW PHOTO GALLERY
by Highway One Photography
TO FOLLOW
SID 260812 | TRACI TURNER | EDITOR
