Death Cab To Tour U.S.

Seattle's latest indie-rock heroes, Death Cab for Cutie, will embark on a 45-date U.S. tour beginning Oct. 1 in Spokane, Wash. at Fat Tuesday's. Over the course of nearly two months of heavy-duty touring, the soft-hearted foursome will stop in Iowa City, Iowa, East Lansing, Mich., Burlington, Vt., West Palm Beach, Fla. and Ft. Worth, Texas before wrapping it up with two stints at their hometown's Showbox.

It won't be until the fifth date into their tour — when they hit Lawrence, Kan. — that the band can officially celebrate the release of their fourth full-length recording, Transatlanticism, available Oct. 7 on Barsuk Records.

Produced by keyboardist/guitarist Chris Walla (who also worked with the Long Winters and the Stratford 4 on their recent recordings), the new album remains as heartfelt and infectious as past releases. But the recordings also reveal a band — which includes Walla, lead singer/guitarist/songwriter Ben Gibbard, bassist Nick Harmer and new drummer McGerr — well acquainted with their capabilities inside the studio. While previous songs were birthed, for the most part, onstage, songs off Transatlanticism came to life slowly and with frequent experimentation in the studio, resulting in a sonic experience more layered, complex, fragile and consuming.

Transatlanticism follows last year's reissue of Death Cab's original cassette-only mini-album You Can Play These Song With Chords, The Stability EP, released in early 2002, and 2001's critical darling The Photo Album.

The upcoming album also comes in the wake of Gibbard's recent electro/pop project with Jimmy Tamborello (also know as Dntel). Calling their collaboration the Postal Service, for all the recordings they exchanged by mail between California and Washington, the duo dropped an acclaimed album on Sub Pop Records earlier this year.

Death Cab for Cutie Tour Dates

Oct. 1; Spokane, Wash.; Fat Tuesday's
Oct. 2; Boise, Idaho; Neurolux
Oct. 3; Salt Lake City, Utah; Bricks
Oct. 5; Boulder, Colo.; Fox
Oct. 7; Lawrence, Kan.; Granada Theatre
Oct. 8; Iowa City, Iowa; Union Ballroom
Oct. 9; Minneapolis, Minn.; First Avenue
Oct. 10; Chicago, Ill.; Metro
Oct. 11; Chicago, Ill.; Metro (early all-ages show)
Oct. 12; St. Louis, Mo.; TBA
Oct. 13; East Lansing, Mich.; Michigan State
Oct. 14; Indianapolis, Ind.; The Patio
Oct. 15; Detroit, Mich.; The Majestic Theatre
Oct. 16; Toronto, Ontario; TBA
Oct. 17; Montreal, Quebec; TBA
Oct. 18; Burlington, Vt.; Univ. of Vermont
Oct. 20; Washington, D.C.; Black Cat
Oct. 21; Philadelphia, Pa.; Trocadero
Oct. 22; New York, N.Y.; Irving Plaza (CMJ)
Oct. 24; Cambridge, Mass.; Middle East
Oct. 25; Cambridge, Mass.; Middle East Downstairs
Oct. 28; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Club Laga
Oct. 29; Columbus, Ohio; Little Brothers
Oct. 30; Louisville, Ky.; Headliner's Music Hall
Oct. 31; Atlanta, Ga.; TBA
Nov. 1; Nashville, Tenn.; TBA
Nov. 2; Carrboro, N.C.; Cat's Cradle
Nov. 4; Jacksonville, Fla.; TBA
Nov. 5; West Palm Beach, Fla.; TBA
Nov. 6; Orlando, Fla.; TBA
Nov. 7; Tallahassee, Fla. TBA
Nov. 8; New Orleans, La.; TBA
Nov. 9; Houston, Texas; TBA
Nov. 10; Austin, Texas; Emo's
Nov. 11; Ft. Worth, Texas; Ridglea Theater
Nov. 13; Tempe, Ariz.; Nita's Hideaway
Nov. 14; Los Angeles, Calif.; TBA
Nov. 15; Pomona, Calif.; TBA
Nov. 16; San Diego, Calif.; TBA
Nov. 17; San Francisco, Calif.; TBA
Nov. 18; TBA
Nov. 19; Eugene, Ore.; WOW Hall
Nov. 20; Portland, Ore.; Crystal Ballroom
Nov. 21; Seattle, Wash.; Showbox
Nov. 22; Seattle, Wash.; Showbox (early all-ages show)

— Jenny Tatone [Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2003]