I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: September 12, 2019] Built to Spill

After the last time I saw Built to Spill (which was amazing), I felt like I didn’t really need to see them again.  The show was excellent and I was right in front of Doug–an amazing vantage point.

Then he announced he was touring the Keep It Like a Secret album.  This is the album that introduced me to the band 20 years earlier and it has some of my favorite songs on it.  So yes, of course I was going to go see that.  It turned out that the Philly show was on a night I was busy (but I did get a ticket just in case–turns out my plans changed but then Babymetal announced a show for that night so I sold my BtS ticket for and went to Babymetal instead).  But this show at Starland Ballroom was going to happen the night before my plans anyway, so I grabbed a ticket for this show.

I have mixed feeling about Starland.  If you get there late–and it’s a popular show–forget about it.  When we saw Death Cab for Cutie, we were lucky to get in the door.  So for BtS I left really early and got there really early and was about the 17th person in the building.  So I had my pick of where to stand.

Last time I saw BtS, I was right in front of Doug Marstch, like right on the stage.  It was incredible watching him from so close.  And yet, due to acoustics, I could barely hear him at all.  So I told myself that this time I would stand back and enjoy the whole experience.  But things got the best of me.  First off, there was a gate, so I wasn’t going to be right up against the stage.  But more importantly as I stood back in a sweet spot, I watch all these tall people push past me and I couldn’t help myself, I had to grab a railing spot.  So once again I was right in front of Doug and his massive amplifier.  I could hear the vocals a little bit better than last time, but again, it wasn’t the same as hearing the full band.  And, honestly I could barely hear the second guitarist.  So, I have really learned my lesson for next time.  But again, it was so cool seeing him work his magic up close that I’m willing to overlook some things.

But NEXT TIME, for sure I will stand back.

Oh and check out this cool poster for the tour.

Aside from this being a 20th Anniversary album tour, this show was also different for me because for this tour Built to Spill is a four piece.  I have seen them as a three piece, five piece and now four piece.  And, perhaps more fascinating is that the three other players are brand new to the BtS lineup (and I’d never heard of any of them before).  Turns out the three are all pioneering psychedelic Brazilian rockers Lê Almeida (drums), João Casaes (bass) and João Luiz (guitar).  According to the BtS site, Lê and João are partners at Transfusão Noise Records in Rio de Janeiro. They played together in the bands Lê Almeida, Treli Reli Repi, Babe Florida, Carpete Florido and GAAX. Lê also plays in Oruã.

About Lê Almeida, the Guardian says that he is the focus for Rio de Janeiro’s indiepop scene,

there is a burgeoning lo-fi movement known as “Baixada Fluminense”, and Almeida, basically, bosses it. He’s sort of the Rio Robert Pollard, a prime mover in it all. He comes from a rundown neighbourhood called Vilar dos Teles, on the outskirts of Rio, and records under various aliases. Whatever the name, he’s doing the writing and singing, playing every instrument and producing – although he has other musicians to help out when he plays live.

So I’m totally going to check that dude out more.  It’s a shame that he was stationed where he was (on Doug’s left side, facing him) because I couldn’t see him very well.  Doug often seems to have the musicians arranged like that (drums on his left), I wonder why.

But this is not about Lê Almeida or Brazil, it’s about Doug and Built to Spill.

Like last time, Doug came out and set up his gear.  He seemed to have some kind of cable trouble and was changing things quite a lot.  But then he was ready to get going.  And I was puzzled when the first song wasn’t “The Plan,” the leadoff track of Keep It Like A Secret.  Turns out that Doug is doing things his own way.  Rather than playing the album front to back, he has been playing all of the track in varying order.  (I checked the Philly show that I could have gone to and it was a different order from mine).

So he started with a kind of opening jam that may or may not have been part of the first song which was “Time Trap,” which I recognized and made me wonder if it was in fact the lead off track because it was so familiar (I hadn’t checked the record recently).

Every time I have seen BtS he has played a number of new-to-me songs.   A very cursory look at Doug’s back catalog shows that he’s recorded about 100 songs (give or take a lot of B-sides and previous bands) and I’ve seen him play about 45 unique songs in four shows (including covers and unreleased songs).  That’s pretty amazing.

So this being a tour for KILAS, I knew I’d hear a bunch of songs I hadn’t heard before (like “Time Trap”).

When Doug started singing and I realized I couldn’t hear his voice over his guitar (his guitar amp was right in front of me), I was a little bummed.  But I could hear his vocals better than last time.  And really how cool is it when you can watch solos like this up close.  It was during this song and the next one that I had fun trying to figure out which lead parts Doug was playing and which ones João was playing.  How did Doug do this in the past?

It was on the next song, “Center of the Universe” that I realized for sure that he was just mixing up the song order.  And it was “The Plan” that I was super excited to hear (again).

Then he threw a curve ball and played a song I knew quite well, but didn’t remember where it was from (I assumed KILAS since that’s what I assumed he was playing in the first set).  But no, it turned out to be “When Not Being Stupid is Not Enough” from Built to Spill Caustic Resin, and EP I’ve always loved.

Obviously I love to hear unique to me songs (it’s the collector in me) but there are some songs that I could listen to over and over, like “You Were Right” one of my favorite songs ever.

I say that I couldn’t hear the other band members, but that’s not entirely true.  When Doug played solo notes or quieter parts, the other guys were quite present.  Like how you can hear the bass in this clip.  And of course the drums were always clear, and perfect.

From there on, he continued to play songs from KILAS until he got to the song t hat made me fall in love with BtS in the first place, “Carry the Zero.”  He has played it every time I’ve seen him and I never get tired of it.  He must not either.  I’m not sure if Doug is a curmudgeon (he seems very nice off stage, but all business on stage), nevertheless, he does play (some) songs that (most) people want to hear.

That was the set-ender.  At ten songs, it was a short set (in Philly, they took a break after nine songs).  I knew they’d play an encore or two, I mean this set was barely an hour.  So the people who were chanting “one more song”–stop that.

They came back and played a Halo Benders song, “Planned Obsolescence.”  I don’t really know the band which Doug was in during the 1990s.  They put out three albums.  He has played a song from them at every show but the first one.  So I guess I should listen to them.

Then it was back to familiar territory with “In the Morning” and the excellent “I Would Hurt a Fly.”  I’ve heard this song live three times and I love it.  I didn’t take too many clips of João  playing second guitar, but I was fascinated to see what he was doing in this song.  For many of the songs, he used a slide to make soaring noises.  At one point he chucked it behind him when he had to play a lead.  Then he had to go find it before the next song.

Doug thanked And And And and Prism Bitch and then invited most of Prism Bitch back on stage to sing a song with him.  I noticed during the set that pretty much everyone from Prism Bitch (and maybe And And And) was standing on the side of the stage watching the show.

So Lilah Rose, Teresa Esguerra and Lauren Poole came out as Doug started playing a song that I recognized.  It was mellow and catchy and it was… “Waterloo Sunset“?  Yes indeed.  What an unexpected song!  It was so sweet and mellow and the backing vocals were a great addition.  I wonder if they sang at other shows (I see that in Philly, the cover was R.E.M.’s “Harborcoat” (talk about a deep cut).

That seemed like it could be the end, but I know Doug usually likes to have a more jamming song to end the show. And sure enough, up came a ripping version of “Broken Chairs.”

The band didn’t interact much, with each other or the audience.  I’m not sure if they were purely focused on what they were doing, but they were really great.  I wonder how much instruction they are given for what to do when Doug goes off on a lengthy solo–just keep things steady until he says to move on?  That would make sense,

Whatever the case, this was another terrific show from Doug Martsch, and I will definitely see them again when they come back–from further back.  I hope its the same four piece again, but really any incarnation is pretty great.

Setlists (bold songs were first time played)

 

2019, Starland Ballroom, NJ	2018, House of Independents, NJ
Time Trap [KILAS]	So [UM] [2]
Center of the Universe[KILAS] [2]	In the Morning [TNWWL]
The Plan [KILAS] [2]	Strange [AMOTF]
When Not Being Stupid is Not Enough [BTSCR]	On the Way [UM]
Bad Light [KILAS]	Stab [TNWWL]
You Were Right [KILAS] [3]	I Would Hurt a Fly [PFNO] [2]
Sidewalk [KILAS]	Understood (new?) [2]
Temporarily Blind [KILAS]	Reasons [TNWWL] [2]
Else [KILAS] [2]	Virginia Reel Around the Fountain (HALO BENDERS song) [2]
Carry the Zero[KILAS] [4]	Back on the Chain Gang (THE PRETENDERS cover)
encore	Kicked It In The Sun [PFNO]
Planned Obsolesence [HALO BENDERS song]	Goin’ Against Your Mind [YiR] [3]
In the Morning[TNWWL] [2]	Carry the Zero [KILAS] [3]
Living Zoo[UM] [2]	encore
I Would Hurt a Fly [PFNO] [3]	Broken Chairs [KILAS]
Waterloo Sunset (with Prism Bitch) [THE KINKS cover]	You Were Right [KILAS] [2]
Broken Chairs [KILAS] [2]

Ultimate Alternative Wavers (1993) [2 of 10 songs]
There’s Nothing Wrong with Love (1994) [4 of 13 songs]
Built to Spill Caustic Resin (1995) [1 of 5 songs]
The Normal Years (1996) [1 of 10 songs]
Perfect from Now On (1997) [5 of 8 songs]
Keep It Like a Secret (1999) [10 of 10 songs]
Ancient Melodies of the Future (2001) [1 of 10 songs]
You in Reverse (2006) [2 of 10 songs]
There Is No Enemy (2009) [3 of 11 songs]
Untethered Moon (2015) [6 of 10 songs]

2015, Union Transfer, PA	2016, Stone Pony, NJ
Goin’ Against Your Mind [YiR]	All Our Songs [UM]
Distopian Dream Girl [TNWWL]	Goin’ Thru (new?)
So [UM]	The Plan [KILAS]
Three Years Ago Today [UAW]	The First Song [UAW]
The Wait [YiR]	Reasons [TNWWL]
You Were Right [KILAS]	Joyride [NormalYears]
Mess With Time [YiR]	Some Other Song [UM]
Never Be The Same [UM]	Understood (new?)
How Soon Is Now? (THE SMITHS cover)	Hindsight [TINE]
Center of the Universe [KILAS]	Stop the Show [PFNO]
Pat [TINE]	Effigy (CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL cover)
I Would Hurt a Fly [PFNO]	Alright (new?)
Done [TINE]	Virginia, Reel Around the Fountain (HALO BENDERS song)
Carry the Zero [KILAS]	Else [KILAS]
encore	Carry the Zero [KILAS] [2]
Living Zoo [UM]	encore
Untrustable/Part 2 (About Someone Else) [PFNO]	Randy Described Eternity [PFNO]
	Goin’ Against Your Mind [YiR] [2]

 

For ease of searching, I include: Le Almeida (drums), Joao Casaes (bass) and Joao Luiz (guitar), Transfusao Noise Records, Orua.