I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: September 4, 2022] Built to Spill

I know that a Built to Spill show is going to be great.  But sometimes the crowd makes it hard to enjoy.  I was fairly sure this show would be poorly attended, and yet there were a lot of (drunk) people who knew Built to Spill very well.  Are they more popular than I realize?

I had seen them just four months earlier, but the opportunity to see them again at the reasonably close SteelStacks in Bethlehem meant that I was going to see them again.  I enjoyed his new lineup.  This is the third, possibly fourth lineup I’ve seen play with Doug.  Melanie Radford is now on bass (she also plays in Blood Lemon) and Teresa Esguerra on drums.

I love that Esguerra was on the side of the stage facing the other two (that’s how his band was set up with the previous trio as well).  This allowed for Esguerra  and Radford to communicate with each other while Doug was jamming.  And they had outstanding chemistry.

I hadn’t really gotten to see Radford much during Blood Lemon, but she totally let loose with Built to Spill.  Her bass playing was great and her sound was outstanding.  She also seemed to create some of the second-guitar melodies (instead of the bass lines) to make the songs sound even fuller. And then she would jump back with her hair flying a smile on her face.

I had seen Esguerra with Prism Bitch, but she was even more impressive tackling songs that I knew.  She was fast and powerful and seemed to be the engine pushing the songs forward not just keeping pace with them.

The one drawback to seeing a band twice in the same tour (unless they are known for constantly changing up the setlist) is that you’re going to hear the same songs.  Which isn;t bad if you like the songs (which I do).  But if you want to see as many different songs live as you possibly can (which I do), a second show in a tour might not add much to your total).  Although two new songs is nothing to scoff at.  They also played two other songs which they hadn’t played back in May.  So clearly this trio has learned a pretty sizable portion of the catalog.

The set up at Musikfest is a bit brighter, a bit easier to see what’s going on, which I rather appreciated.  I was actually able to see Esguerra, who was intense and awesome on the drums. And I could really see her and Radford communicating with each other.

They opened with Center of the Universe, which they didn’t play in May.  I love this song (and everything from this album), so it was a treat to rock out to the swaying song.  The crowd, which I found really annoying, was also full of Built to Spill fans, so it’s hard to reconcile people who talk loudly through songs, but also know the words to other ones.

These fans also seem to really love the older songs, though, so when he played Stab, there was general happiness.  I prefer the newer stuff, and really like “Hindsight” and that era of songs, so that was fun to hear.

They played two songs from the new album.  Last time they didn’t play “Spiderweb,” so this was a brand new song for me.

Built to Spill played with Daniel Johnston for a tour, so I think he’ll bethrowing in a DJ song for a few years.  I’ve never been a fan, but I’ve heard “Bloody Rainbow” enough that I find it fun.

They sandwiched it between the two new songs, which was kind of interesting.  “Gonna Lose” is a real rocker that I really like and it fits in perfectly with the rest of the songs,

As I say, I like the new albums and Untethered Moon has some great songs, so hearing “Never Be the Same” and “Some Other Song” is pretty great (“Some Other Song” has a great ponderousness coupled with a stellar riff).  I feel like he needs to dig out those other four songs those (see below).

He tends to do a cover ever show.  I thought he might have mixed them up a bit, and maybe he does, but for both of our shows, he played Cate Le Bon’s “Are You With Me Now.”  I really really like his version.  The original is also great and his covered convinced me to go see her instead of Turnstile a few weeks later.

I have a hard time believing that this was the first time I’d heard “Liar” a song I really like from an album he doesn’t play a lot from [You in Reverse.  Although poor Ancient melodies from the Future almost never gets a nod–maybe he’s saving up for a 25 year anniversary tour].

I love “I Would Hurt a Fly” and even though he’s played it at 5 of the 6 shows I’ve seen, I never get tired of it.  Especially when, during the second half of the song, it really takes off and he solos madly while the rhythm section goes nuts.

He opened the Union Transfer show with “Big Dipper” (the first time I’d seen him play it) and played it in Bethlehem as well.  It’s a good one so no complaints there.

Coming from the same album as “Hindsight,” “Pat” is a scorching blistering rocker and they brought the house down with it.

I love “The Plan” and am happy to hear it every time.  he played a really long solo and it’s fun to watch him twisting knobs and experimenting with sounds as he rocks out.  It’s interesting tat at Union Transfer they played “Stop the Show” and then “The Plan” and here they reversed the order to end the set.  “Stop the Show” has some of my favoirte guitar riffs and I really enjoyed the way that Radford and Esguerra kept  the song steady but seemed to signal to each other to change some of the simple patterns around.  It was subtle and almost unnoticeable, but I really enjoyed it.

The crowd was really awful.  I have some videos where the talking is frankly unbelievable.  But worse yet is that this group of people who were really, really drunk, almost got into a fight.  There was actual pushing and raised voices.  I mean, what the hell.  A fight broke out when I saw them at the Stone Pony too.  Is the Built to Spill audience full of assholes?  It seems so unlikely since Doug seems like such a nice guy.

There was also at least one guy shouting out for a song (and of course everyone wants to hear “Carry the Zero, which he did not play).  I have a feeling the guy was shouting out for “Car”, but it’s possible that I’m thinking of that because of the new Sub Pop ad, with a Built to Spill bench in Boise.  There’s a part where someone had vandalized with with “Play ‘Car.'”  So I don’t know if I’m imposing that on the drunk guy or if this joke was inspired by the drunk guy!

After break they came back to play one of my favorite encores: “Broken Chairs” (third time I’ve seen it as an encore song).   It’s a rambling nearly 9 minute song on record and live it just asks for a lot of improv from Doug,  And he reliably plays a lengthy solo.

So this was my sixth time seeing them and yes, I would see them again.  With this lineup or any line up.  I feel like the audience needs to be screened though–or I just need to stand far away from everybody else.

 

2022 Musikfest Cafe	2022 Union Transfer
Center of the Universe [KILAS] [3] [not –>]	Big Dipper [TNWWL]
Stab [TNWWL] [3]	Stop the Show [PFNO] [2]
Hindsight [TINE] [3]	The Plan [KILAS] [3]
Spiderweb [WTWFYN] [not –>]	Bloody Rainbow (Daniel Johnston song)
Bloody Rainbow (Daniel Johnston song) [2]	So [UM] [3]
Gonna Lose [WTWFYN] [2]	Hindsight [TINE] [2]
Never Be the Same [UM] [3]	Pat [TINE] [2]
Some Other Song [UM] [2] [not –>]	Three Years Ago Today [UAW] [2]
Are You With Me Now (Cate Le Bon cover) [2]	Gonna Lose [WTWFYN]
Liar [YiR]  [not –>]	Are You With Me Now (Cate Le Bon cover)
I Would Hurt a Fly [PFNO] [5]	Never Be The Same [UM] [2]
Big Dipper [TNWWL] [2]	Stab [TNWWL] [2]
Pat [TINE] [2]	I Would Hurt a Fly [PFNO] [4]
The Plan [KILAS] [4]	Goin’ Against Your Mind [YiR] [4]
Stop the Show [PFNO] [3]	Carry the Zero[KILAS] [5]
encore	encore
Broken Chairs [KILAS] [3]	Conventional Wisdom [YiR]

Ultimate Alternative Wavers (1993) [2 of 10 songs]
There’s Nothing Wrong with Love (1994) [5 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) [4 of 10 songs]
There Is No Enemy (2009) [3 of 11 songs]
Untethered Moon (2015) [6 of 10 songs]
When the Wind Forgets Your Name (2022) [2 of 10 songs]

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]

 

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]