For a good chunk of the past 12 months, Ben Gibbard, Jimmy Tamborello, Jenny Lewis, and others in the Postal Service fold have been out on the road celebrating the 20th anniversary of the band’s lone album, 2003’s electronic indie-pop sleeper hit Give Up. Gibbard’s main band Death Cab For Cutie have been co-headlining those gigs, playing through their own 2003 breakout LP, Transatlanticism. The tour was announced way back in December 2022, and it kicked off last September at the Anthem in Washington, DC. Twelve months later, it will finally wrap up back in the District at the newly revived HFStival at Nationals Park.
Not only will HFStival mark the end of the tour, it will likely mark the end of the Postal Service altogether, barring any future reunions. The band issued a press release today revealing, perhaps unsurprisingly, that they are going on indefinite hiatus now that their travels are concluding. This statement from Gibbard is included in the release:
As we bring the Transatlanticism / Give Up Tour to a close, I want you all to know that getting the opportunity to perform these two albums live has been one of the greatest thrills and honors of my entire life. On behalf of Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service; Thank you so much for coming out and singing along. We will see you all again somewhere down the road.
I attended the Columbus date of the tour this year, and it was every bit the millennial nostalgia fest you’d expect (complimentary). These albums hold up, and the Postal Service’s live show was way more dynamic than I remembered from the 10th anniversary reunion tour. It had to end sometime, but I’m sad to see their victory lap come to an end. See you in 2033, Ben and friends?
