Every advertisement was billing it as the Dismemberment Plan's last show ever but when lead singer Travis Morrison walked on stage after Engine Down's serviceable opening set, he set the record straight on the "big fat lie." Turns out that the Plan had one more show, in their hometown of Washington, D.C. on July 28th, plus two weeks in Japan. Saturday night's show at the Theatre of the Living Arts, however, did mark the end of the band's American touring life, and to Morrison, that was a big deal.
Such an important show requires a memorable setlist. Rather than risk failure, Morrison and his cohorts (guitarist Jason Caddell, bassist Eric Axelson and drummer Joe Easley) let the crowd make requests for the majority of the show. Some of the requests were made politely, with an outstretched hand and a loud voice. Others, however, were less formal. One fan gave Morrison a request taped onto a vinyl copy of The Time's What Time Is It?, while another threw up a dollar bill with a request (Morrison quickly pocketed it). The show's most memorable exchange occurred when Morrison joked about a small bra that was thrown on stage. The band then tore through "I Love a Magician," the request that was on the left cup.
Other highlights included "Secret Curse," the building electronic percussion of "You Are Invited," and the Plan's covers of the Postal Service's "Such Great Heights," plus the Sesame Street theme song.
While Bon Jovi closed out the Vet to much fanfare, the Dismemberment Plan relished the intimate nature of their next-to-last American show. Finally, at a loss for appropriate words, the band appropriately closed out the evening with the rocking "What Do You Want Me to Say"
