Built To Spill, with Disco Doom and Violent Soho (nights #1 & #2),
Disco Doom and Pretty And Nice (night #3)
at The Middle East (downstairs), (Central Square) Cambridge, MA
Friday, October 9, Saturday, October 10, and Sunday, October 11
(doors at 8pm, except on the 11th – doors at 7pm; 18+ show)

BuiltToSpill

Ok, this is a big deal. I mean, it’s a huge deal. The Middle East, for those of you who haven’t been, is one of our best venues here in the Boston area, and even the larger 550-capacity downstairs room is small enough to feel intimate, besides being a really nice place to see live music. It’s a lovely thing, then, that this seminal indie band from the ’90s decided, rather than to play the House of Blues or the Orpheum (either of which they could easily sell out), instead to do three nights at The Middle East. Absolutely awesome.

Guitarist and vocalist Doug Martsch (Treepeople) formed Built To Spill in 1992 with Brett Netson (Caustic Resin) and Ralf Youtz as original members. After various changes throughout the years, the band’s current lineup is: Doug Martsch – guitars, vocals; Brett Netson – guitars; Jim Roth – guitars; Brett Nelson – bass; and Scott Plouf – drums. Their influences include J Mascis, Neil Young, Pavement and Camper Van Beethoven, and in turn, they’ve influenced such bands as Modest Mouse, The Strokes, and Death Cab For Cutie.

Their six album releases to date are Ultimate Alternative Wavers (1993, C/Z Records), There’s Nothing Wrong with Love (1994, Up Records); and all the following on Warner Bros.: Perfect from Now On (1997), Keep It Like a Secret (1999), Ancient Melodies of the Future (2001), You in Reverse (2006).

Their new album, There Is No Enemy, is out October 6. In the meantime, you can listen to the album in its entirety.

bts-there-is-no-enemy

Judging by Tuesday night’s show in St. Louis, they’re performing songs ranging across their catalog (except for Perfect From Now On and Ancient Melodies Of The Future), but I don’t know if the set list changes from night to night.

[as of now, there were still tickets available for all nights, but the guy at the Middle East box office says they expect all shows to sell out sometime next week, so I wouldn’t wait too long…]

Built To Spill East Coast Shows

Oct 8 2009 ~ 8:00P ~ State Theater ~ Ithaca, New York
Oct 9 2009 ~ 10:30P ~ Middle East ~ Cambridge, Massachusetts
Oct 10 2009 ~ 10:30P ~ Middle East ~ Cambridge, Massachusetts
Oct 11 2009 ~ 10:30P ~ Middle East ~ Cambridge, Massachusetts
Oct 12 2009 ~ 8:00P ~ Webster Hall ~ New York, New York
Oct 13 2009 ~ 8:00P ~ Webster Hall ~ New York, New York
Oct 14 2009 ~ 9:00P ~ Music Hall of Williamsburg ~ Brooklyn, New York
Oct 15 2009 ~ 9:00P ~ Music Hall of Williamsburg ~ Brooklyn, New York
Oct 16 2009 ~ 9:00P ~ The Trocadero ~ Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Oct 17 2009 ~ 9:00P ~ 9:30 Club ~ Washington, Washington DC

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