Concert Review - Built to Spill 9/18/08

After the amazing Zappa Plays Zappa and Wilco concerts in August, I was ready for more guitar pyrotechnics and luckily had two chances to have my mind blown this evening since the Meat Puppets were also on the bill. Those boys are looking rough these days. Curt now has the "Dad paunch" as Mothra put it and his guitar, which he still plays incredibly well whether it's a punk raveup or textural noise, gently rests atop his stomach. Plus, he was wearing sweat pants. He looked as if he had just gotten off the couch in his den to play the show. Cris was the closest thing to Dee Dee Ramone I've seen in a long time. Grizzled and gray, he wears the story of his life and hard times on his face. He bounced around, shouted maniacally whenever the mood struck him and twice approached the microphone as if to address the crowd only to pause and then slam his forehead into it. They played a smattering of Meat Puppets II favorites along with country songs, Beatles tunes, old standards and speed metal workouts and although I recognized very little in the show they won me over by the end of their set.

Built to Spill were there to perform Perfect From Now On in its entirety. I'd never seen one of these full album concerts before and was intrigued. Missing from the show was the usual, "What will they play next?" anticipation which was odd at first but really didn't matter once they got under way. It was quickly replaced by "I can't wait to hear ____ next!" and "I wonder what they'll play for an encore? Keep It Like a Secret, perhaps?"

For some reason, both Mothra and I were expecting a 3 piece but they took the stage as a 6 piece - drums, bass, 3 guitars and a cello. It was an incredible show. The songs, which are already magnificent, were elevated by the energy and volume and ecstatic reactions from the packed crowd. I wonder what the impetus for the tour was. Why tour playing the same 11 year old album night after night? Is it a victory lap after years of hard work? Trying to recapture the creative spark that led to this masterpiece? I'm not sure but they didn't seem bored by performing it which was a fear I had.

The show was cacophonous and stunning, each song building to the next until everything culminated in the grand finale of "Untrustable." But instead of ending there, they instantly segued into "Goin' Against Your Mind" to finish the set, which sounded like the long lost ending to an already flawless piece of art. It made the rabid crowd completely frenzied and the stomping and shouting and clapping as the band exited the stage were as loud as I've ever heard. Mothra and I had picked one song each that we hoped they would play for an encore and they played them both and then split. It was a full on sing along as they knocked us out with the 1-2 punch of "Big Dipper" followed by a stunning rendition of "Car" which featured a 10 minute noise/drone outro that ended the night perfectly.

Here's the setlist:

Randy Described Eternity
I Would Hurt a Fly
Stop the Show
Made-Up Dreams
Velvet Waltz
Out of Site
Kicked It In the Sun
Untrustable
Goin' Against Your Mind
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Big Dipper
Car