Like many artists in this era of social distancing, Ben Gibbard is using the Internet to stay in touch with fans and keep them entertained. The Death Cab for Cutie frontman has promised to stream his Live from Home series daily at 7:00 p.m. ET, performing mini-concerts to YouTube and Facebook. Tuesday was his first session, and during the 10-song acoustic set, Gibbard delivered a cover of Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees”.
Before beginning his take on the “Thomas Aquinas Yorke”-penned track, Gibbard explained how he and his wife, Rachel Demy, had recently taken a trip to the Washington Peninsula. “It was a really necessary trip,” he said. “Necessary to… get to a place where our phones didn’t work for a bit and kind of just bask in the beauty of the natural world for a bit. We listened to a lot of our favorite records on that trip, and this song kind of came along, came across on the car stereo. So I thought I’d do a version of it.” The timing was fitting, as Radiohead’s The Bends just celebrated its 25th anniversary.
Watch Gibbard’s delicate take on “Fake Plastic Trees” below, beginning at the 33:48 mark. The set also featured renditions of DCFC cuts “A Lack of Color” and “Cath…”, as well as The Postal Service classics “We Will Become Silhouettes” and “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight”. The full setlist is ahead.
Gibbard should be back tonight with another Live from Home session. As of now, he’s still scheduled for a solo tour in April, with a few Death Cab gigs set for May. Get tickets here.
Streaming performances are sure to be a popular outlet during the current health crisis, so keep an eye out. Neil Young is planning to stage similar in-home concerts, while The Metropolitan Opera is streaming operas for free online.
Ben Gibbard’s Live from Home 3/17 Setlist:
We Will Become Silhouettes
A Lack of Color
Title Track
Northern Lights
Crooked Teeth
Cath…
Grapevine Fires
Fake Plastic Trees
California Zephyr
The District Sleeps Alone Tonight
