Chris Walla, founding member of Washington alt-rock band Death Cab For Cutie, played his final show with the band on the night of Saturday, 13th September. Video of Walla’s emotional farewell, which took place at Rifflandia Festival in Victoria, British Columbia, has now surfaced.
In the footage (below) Death Cab vocalist Ben Gibbard announces that the next song will close out the band’s headlining set, as well as Walla’s time with the band. “This is our last song, and this is our last song with Mr. Chris Walla,” Gibbard says. “Thank you so much for the last 17 years, Chris.” The band then jump straight into Marching Bands Of Manhattan, a track taken from their 2005 album Plans.
At the end of the song, as the audience cheer loudly, Walla utters a quiet “thanks”, before the four members of Death Cab For Cutie embrace each other on stage.
Walla announced in August that he was leaving Death Cab, detailing his reasoning in a short statement (below) which was published by The Stranger. “I am profoundly grateful to Ben, Nick, and Jason, for the experiences that define my adult life. Truly grateful, beyond words,” Walla said.
“Deciding to leave the band was not, and is not, easy. It’s really, really sad. I love my bandmates, and I’m proud of what we’ve done, and mercifully, those things don’t change with my departure,” he continued. “Moving forward, my plans are simply to continue making music, producing records, and erring on the side of benevolence and beauty whenever possible.” Read Walla’s statement in full, below.
Whilst Walla won’t be joining Death Cab For Cutie on any future dates, he will appear on the band’s forthcoming eighth studio album, which is due for release in 2015.
Watch: Death Cab For Cutie – Marching Bands of Manhattan at Rifflandia 2014 (Chris Walla’s Final Performance
http://youtu.be/QRmuM08JC-w
Statement From Chris Walla, “Why I’m Leaving Death Cab for Cutie”. Via The Stranger
Short version: I’m leaving Death Cab for Cutie. My last show with the band will be September 13, 2014, at the Rifflandia Festival in Victoria, BC. I hope you guys can make it.
Longer version: I think I long for the unknown. It might be that simple.
I will miss being a quarter of this band, and will support whatever course Death Cab for Cutie chooses from here. I am profoundly grateful to Ben, Nick, and Jason, for the experiences that define my adult life. Truly grateful, beyond words. Thank you.
I am also grateful to, and deeply humbled by, all of our fans. Without you, music would be mere ‘content’, and nothing could possibly be sadder than that. Thank you all, so dearly.
We’ve just finished our eighth album, which is our first with an outside producer. That producer is a fellow named Rich Costey, and working with him in this capacity is one of the greatest joys of my professional life. Thank you, as well.
There are so many others to whom I am grateful—our crew, our management, our families, the Atlantic, Barsuk and Elsinor labels, the Billions team. Thank you all.
Deciding to leave the band was not, and is not, easy. It’s really, really sad. I love my bandmates, and I’m proud of what we’ve done, and mercifully, those things don’t change with my departure. Moving forward, my plans are simply to continue making music, producing records, and erring on the side of benevolence and beauty whenever possible. Darkness may find me, but I shall never choose it.
