It feels like I went to see this show years ago, though in reality, it’s only been two weeks. One hell of a two weeks, but two weeks all the same. So I approached the chore of writing this review with some trepidation. For one, while I really, really like this band and have great respect for their place in indie rock history, I can’t say I’m completely familiar with their entire catalog, even enough to reconstruct a set list of what they played. Secondly, my notes, while amusing, are pretty fucking useless. I labeled the night’s proceedings as “Hipster Heaven”, and indeed it was. But I still had only (probably incorrect) fragments of lyrics to try to identify to tell you what was performed, and with four other reviews breathing down my neck, little time.
And then I discovered this wonderful site:
Honestly, of all the useful destinations on the internet, this has to rank in the top 20. Setlists of shows, with links from each song to the lyrics AND, if there is one, a YouTube video of the song. My god, salvation. Happily, my Built To Spill show was up there – the final evening, even, of their three-night-party at the Middle East, which is the one I attended. So peruse that, if you would, and I’ll toss up some photos taken from my perch on the side “balcony”. I’ll include what brief notes I have in italics, for comedic value, as well as a few yelled out comments from this one enthusiastic gentleman in the audience which were, at the time, hilarious… but I guess you had to be there. Sorry if you weren’t – it was a brilliant show.
You Were Right
Hindsight beautiful guitars & nice vocals!! | Epic. (‘Hindsight brings me down, keeps me on the ground…’ – from There Is No Enemy)
Stab unreal guitars!!! (‘I’m really glad there’s a grasp to grab, it’s only a stab in a wet paper bag; is that so bad?’)
Else (‘Your body breaks, your needs consume you forever, and with this lies the need to be here together’)
Randy Described Eternity
Joyride holy shit – that other guitarist! (that would be Jim Roth)
Kicked It In The Sun
“favorite band in the world!” (anonymous fan)
Wherever You Go (‘And I’ll find wherever you go, and I’ll help with things you don’t know’)
Distopian Dream Girl (‘My stepfather looks just like David Bowie but he hates David Bowie, I think Bowie’s cool, I think Lodger rules, my stepdad’s a fool’)
“keep up the good work!” (same guy)
Carry The Zero gorgeous, mind-blowing guitar solo (from Doug Martsch)
“god bless you!” (same guy again)
Nowhere Nothin’ Fuckup some of the most beautiful melodic guitar playing I have EVER heard (‘in America, every puddle, gasoline rainbow’)
encore
The Weather (‘Do you want it to be outside in the cool night, where the stars gravitate toward you? … And as long as it’s talking with you, talk of the weather will do.’)
Planting Seeds
Goin’ Against Your Mind (‘When I was a kid I saw a light, floating high above the trees one night, thought it was an alien, turned out to be just god’)
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