By Azzam Bilal 
HangupsMusic.com – SEATTLE, Indie rock stalwarts Death Cab for Cutie have officially extended the roadmap for their current musical era, announcing a comprehensive North American tour for the spring of 2025. This newly revealed leg of the tour follows the release of their critically acclaimed album, I Built You a Tower, and serves as a significant expansion to an already busy international schedule. While the band had previously confirmed dates across Europe, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia, this latest announcement brings the quintet back to their home continent for a series of high-profile performances in some of the most prestigious venues in the United States and Canada.
The 2025 North American trek is set to kick off on March 11 in Nashville, Tennessee, at The Truth. From there, Ben Gibbard and his bandmates—Nick Harmer, Jason McGerr, Dave Depper, and Zac Rae—will navigate a dense itinerary that touches on the American South, the East Coast, and several key Canadian markets. The tour is highlighted by multi-night residencies in major cities, including two-night stands at The Eastern in Atlanta and the MGM Music Hall at Fenway in Boston. Perhaps the most anticipated stop on the tour is a headlining performance at New York City’s legendary Radio City Music Hall on April 13, a venue that matches the cinematic and atmospheric scale of the band’s recent material.
To coincide with the tour announcement, Death Cab for Cutie has released a striking new music video for the track “Stone Over Water.” The visual accompaniment was helmed by acclaimed musician and animator Sean Solomon, whose distinct artistic style provides a poignant backdrop to the song’s introspective themes. The video features a character often referred to by Solomon as the "little man," who navigates a series of emotional hurdles. The animation mirrors the lyrical depth that fans have come to expect from Gibbard, blending a sense of melancholy with an ultimate message of human connection.
In a statement regarding the collaboration, Solomon reflected on the deeply personal nature of the project. He noted that while he typically focuses on animating visuals for his own musical endeavors, the resonance of “Stone Over Water” was impossible to ignore. Solomon explained that the video aims to capture the universal experience of having a difficult day, but he was careful to ensure the final product offered a glimmer of hope. He emphasized the idea that externalizing one’s focus to help others can often be the most effective way to escape the confines of one’s own mental struggles, reinforcing the sentiment that no one is truly alone in their suffering.
The tour’s North American dates will feature support from Swapmeet, an addition that promises to complement Death Cab for Cutie’s signature blend of indie rock and emotive storytelling. This follows a trend of carefully curated opening acts for the band’s global journey. In Europe and the UK, the band will be joined by Pool Kids, while the Japanese dates will feature a DJ set from the legendary Dan the Automator. The Australian leg of the tour will see Acopia taking the stage, and the band’s upcoming one-off performance in Chicago this November will feature Sean Solomon himself in a supporting role.
Before the North American leg begins in earnest next March, the band has a packed winter schedule. After finishing their current run through the UK and Europe—which includes stops at London’s Troxy and Berlin’s Columbiahalle—they will head to East Asia and Oceania. These international dates represent the band’s enduring global appeal, nearly three decades into their career. Following the international run, a standalone show at Chicago’s Salt Shed on November 21 and a special engagement in Honolulu at the Blaisdell Arena on January 19 will serve as the bridge to the full spring tour.
I Built You a Tower has been noted by critics as a testament to the band’s evolution. While still retaining the lyrical precision and melodic sensibilities that defined earlier landmarks like Transatlanticism and Plans, the new record explores more architectural and layered sonic landscapes. The upcoming tour is expected to showcase these new arrangements while still honoring the deep catalog of hits that have made Death Cab for Cutie a foundational element of the 21st-century indie rock canon.
The geographic diversity of the 2025 tour is notable, reaching markets that are often overlooked during standard tour cycles. From the saenger Theatre in New Orleans to the State Theatre in Portland, Maine, the band is making a concerted effort to reach fans across the continent. One particularly interesting stop is scheduled for April 3 at the OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The venue sits literally on the border between the U.S. and Canada, symbolizing the cross-border appeal of a band that has long been a staple of North American radio and festival circuits.
As the band prepares for this extensive run, the "Stone Over Water" video serves as a perfect primer for the emotional tone of the live shows. The collaboration with Sean Solomon highlights Ben Gibbard’s ongoing interest in intersecting music with high-concept visual art, a hallmark of the I Built You a Tower era. Fans looking to secure tickets for the newly added North American dates can expect a high demand, particularly for the intimate theater settings and the massive arena shows in the Northeast.
The full updated itinerary for Death Cab for Cutie’s world tour is as follows:
2024 International Dates
09-16 Dublin, Ireland – 3Olympia Theatre (with Pool Kids)
09-17 Dublin, Ireland – 3Olympia Theatre (with Pool Kids)
09-19 Manchester, England – O2 Victoria Warehouse (with Pool Kids)
09-20 Edinburgh, Scotland – Corn Exchange (with Pool Kids)
09-21 Gateshead, England – The Glasshouse (with Pool Kids)
09-23 Bristol, England – The Prospect Building (with Pool Kids)
09-25 London, England – Troxy (with Pool Kids)
09-26 London, England – Troxy (with Pool Kids)
09-27 Bexhill, England – De La Warr Pavilion (with Pool Kids)
09-29 Utrecht, Netherlands – TivoliVredenburg (with Pool Kids)
09-30 Brussels, Belgium – Cirque Royal (with Pool Kids)
10-01 Berlin, Germany – Columbiahalle (with Pool Kids)
10-03 Paris, France – Elysee Montmartre (with Pool Kids)
11-08 Osaka, Japan – Matsushita IMP Hall (with Dan the Automator)
11-09 Tokyo, Japan – Toyosu Pit (with Dan the Automator)
11-12 Sydney, Australia – Hordern Pavilion (with Acopia)
11-13 Melbourne, Australia – Margaret Court Arena (with Acopia)
11-15 Brisbane, Australia – Fortitude Music Hall (with Acopia)
11-21 Chicago, IL – Salt Shed (with Sean Solomon)
2025 North American Tour
01-19 Honolulu, HI – Blaisdell Arena
03-11 Nashville, TN – The Truth (with Swapmeet)
03-12 Knoxville, TN – Tennessee Theatre (with Swapmeet)
03-14 Atlanta, GA – The Eastern (with Swapmeet)
03-15 Atlanta, GA – The Eastern (with Swapmeet)
03-17 St. Augustine, FL – The St. Augustine Amphitheatre (with Swapmeet)
03-18 Miami Beach, FL – The Fillmore Miami Beach (with Swapmeet)
03-20 Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live (with Swapmeet)
03-22 Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall (with Swapmeet)
03-23 Austin, TX – TBA (with Swapmeet)
03-24 Dallas, TX – The Bomb Factory (with Swapmeet)
03-26 New Orleans, LA – The Saenger Theatre (with Swapmeet)
03-27 Huntsville, AL – The Orion Amphitheater (with Swapmeet)
03-30 Pittsburgh, PA – Citizens Live at The Wylie (with Swapmeet)
04-01 Detroit, MI – Masonic Temple (with Swapmeet)
04-03 Niagara Falls, Ontario – OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino (with Swapmeet)
04-04 Ottawa, Ontario – HISTORY (with Swapmeet)
04-05 Montreal, Quebec – MTELUS (with Swapmeet)
04-07 Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway (with Swapmeet)
04-08 Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway (with Swapmeet)
04-09 Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena (with Swapmeet)
04-11 Portland, ME – State Theatre (with Swapmeet)
04-13 New York, NY – Radio City Music Hall (with Swapmeet)
04-16 Asheville, NC – ExploreAsheville.com Arena (with Swapmeet)
