Some things I simply must write about. Even if it’s a week later and most people’s minds have moved beyond the event in question. Or not – this show was a marquee event that will stand out in my mind as one of the best live music events of the year. This event was that of the “imaginary, fake kinda band…from parts unknown” (description courtesy of Ben Gibbard) The Postal Service.

A longtime favorite of Gibbard, Advance Base, graced the audience with ambient chillwave tunes, casting over the audience a dreamy ambiance that most didn’t heed too much. Minimalism is cool, but the collective anticipation of the crowd overshadowed anything that was being crafted onstage. A cool opportunity for this unknown artist from the Pacific Northwest, nonetheless.

The Postal Service opened the set at twilight with “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight,” but the rest of the set would be anything but sleepy. Personal favorite “We Will Become Silhouettes” had Ben Gibbard helming a drum kit for the outro, a role he would reprise a few other times that evening. DJ Jimmy Tamborello used a weird modulator thing (forgive my lack of technical knowledge of these things), which baffled me in a good way at the start of “Be Still My Heart.” “Clark Gable” had a cool guitar solo to open the song – a rave-like environment overtook the audience, complete with a whimsical aura cast by the use of xylophone – probably the only instance where such an instrument would be appropriate for such a mood. Gibbard’s vocal counterpart Jenny Lewis was on point as well – she even took control of the drums at one point, and held her own. Other highlights of the main set included “Such Great Heights” (well, duh) and the following “Natural Anthem,” which got surprisingly intense. The encore closed out the evening on a high note, leaving the crowd riled up with a rousing performance of “Brand New Colony.”

While watching, I couldn’t help but be awed at the sheer amount creativity that went into the live production. People’s urge to create and engage with art stood out in a profound way to me that night, and I was reminded of the Imago Dei, that man is created in God’s image. What a beautiful reflection. 

–Ryan Getz