If you’re a fan of The Postal Service, let’s hope you had a chance to see the pop supergroup on its 20th anniversary tour. The band — an indie darling that features Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie, Jenny Lewis and Jimmy Tamborello — is going on an “indefinite hiatus” after its reunion tour wraps on Sept. 21 at the HFStival in Washington, D.C.
A publicist confirmed Monday that the festival date would be The Postal Service’s final show on the tour, and said it “will mark the beginning of an indefinite hiatus for the band.”
The Postal Service has just one studio album to its credit, “Give Up,” released in 2003 by Sub Pop Records. The platinum-selling record has a cult following and is beloved for its “indietronica” sound — with guitar, drums, keyboards and samples — and tracks that include “Such Great Heights,” “We Will Become Silhouettes,” “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight,” “Clark Gable” and “Nothing Better.”
The band reunited for a 20th anniversary tour in September 2023, performing concerts in North America, the United Kingdom, Spain and Portugal. Gibbard’s primary band, Death Cab for Cutie, also performed on the tour as a co-headliner, celebrating the 20h anniversary of its “Transatlanticism” album.
“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,” Gibbard said via a press release. “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.”
In a Sept. 12 Instagram post, Lewis called touring with The Postal Service a “dream trip.” In another post, Lewis expressed her joy about playing for “oodles of folks” overseas. The tour was extended through 2024 due to popular demand, a publicist said, and has drawn half a million fans.
This is the second reunion tour for The Postal Service, following a 10th anniversary trek in 2013. The band initially released a handful of singles from 2003′s “Give Up” — “Such Great Heights” was featured on the TV show “Grey’s Anatomy” — but never became a full-fledged touring unit as the musicians pursued other projects.
The “Give Up” album was reissued in 2013 with two new songs and some bonus tracks, and the first Postal Service reunion tour ensued. The group officially disbanded that year, much to fans’ chagrin, although a concert documentary, “Everything Will Change” came out in 2014. A live album linked to the documentary, also called “Everything Will Change,” was released in 2020 via Sub Pop.
Although Gibbard hasn’t ruled out a future reunion of The Postal Service, fans may have to wait another nine or 10 years for a 30th anniversary tour. Some folks already are anticipating a band revival, with Facebook comments such as “Absolute joy to see you again. Thank you. Please come back soon!” and “I missed this tour because I took a new job. I’ll be first in line when you come back on tour!”
