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Built To Spill

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guigsy Newbie

guigsy

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hahah... ya'll missed a good one!

love that big built to spill sound... from what i remember, in no particular order, other than opener and encore...

Liar

Made-Up Dreams

The Source

Big Dipper

Car

Conventional Wisdom

Stop The Show

Kicked It In The Sun

Time Trap

You Were Right

Carry The Zero

Brian Eno/Bauhaus cover.. Third Uncle? (i didnt get the title, but that cover has popped up on recent setlists)

and a song from the first album which i cant remember the name

encore:

Randy Described Eternity (in monstrous fashion)

im probably missing a couple in there, too... i always do.

great show, ended the same way it did the last time we saw them in Buffalo - with that huge Randy... the drummer had his kit torn down before Doug had finished playing the last notes. Car was basically Doug solo with some light bass accompaniment, and Conventional Wisdom tore many a new hole. other favourites of mine from the night were Big Dipper and Time Trap.

loved the crowd response to the band, as well... just massive. i guess it was the accumulation of 15 years of pent-up cheering ready to go... the band seemed totally humbled/surprised by it, so i hope it helps get them back up here sooner than later.

great night - and thanks for the crashspace, fluff.. obviously i didnt make it to the office, decided to get an early bus instead.

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AD Newbie

AD

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Perfect from now on

Renowned indie act Built To Spill

Built To Spill's Doug Martsch wears his optimism on his sleeve

Few bands born out of the 1990s indie rock rumble have demonstrated such lasting power as Built To Spill. In a period of time that has undergone an endless barrage of 15-minute-old trends, this band has thrived for 15 years with a sound that has remained distinct and is recognized as one of the most steadfast acts in the business.

Led by the proverbial helium-inflated vocal wail and elaborate guitar work of songwriter Doug Martsch, the trademark sound of Built To Spill (whose current lineup also includes drummer Scott Plouf, bassist Brett Nelson, and guitarists Brett Netson and Jim Roth) developed through a fondness for splintered melodic pop à la Pavement and the Flaming Lips, as well as the loose jamming capabilities of obvious heroes J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr) and Neil Young.

Held up on a pedestal for his guitar wizardry - especially in concert, where he's known to go off on mesmerizing tangents (best captured on 2000's live album, Live) - Martsch's noodly technique isn't so much a result of his own doing. As he humbly puts it, his unmistakable style developed from paying close attention to the artists he admired while recognizing his limits. "I learned songs by my favourite bands and imitated their styles until I realized what I was and wasn't capable of and what my natural tendencies were," says Martsch.

Emerging in the alt-rock boom of 1992, Built To Spill's timely brand of sonically digressed rock was quickly immersed in an underground scene that was being swallowed up by a hungry

mainstream. Building up cred by releasing their first two albums on indie labels C/Z and K - Ultimate Alternative Wavers and the excellent There's Nothing Wrong With Love (the first with long-time producer Phil Ek) respectively - Built To Spill finally found a home (for 12 years) with Warner Brothers during a frenzied moment where major labels were signing up any renowned indie act.

While it's still amusing to see such a staunchly DIY act like Built To Spill releasing records alongside such vastly different artists as Josh Groban and Mandy Moore - much like the case of labelmates the Flaming Lips - it not only worked out in the mid-'90s but it's remained harmonious to this day. "We're obviously not on an indie label but we make the same records we would if we were on one," says Martsch. "We don't see our position on WB as an opportunity to take it to the next level by making more accessible music. WB has allowed us to freely experiment and make records without any restraints. We're pretty happy with things as they are, and yeah, we may actually make the label money."

After signing, the band turned out modern-day classics with 1997's Perfect From Now On and 1999's Keep It Like a Secret, eschewing expectations their label no doubt had for them with modest sales. But Built To Spill have come to be synonymous with integrity. When 2001's Ancient Melodies of the Future failed to meet the high standards their fans had acquired, Built To Spill went quiet and regrouped.

Martsch released his solo album, Now You Know, the following year, but Built To Spill were inactive until 2006, when they finally resurfaced with the rewarding You in Reverse. "After Ancient Melodies we toured and then took a break, during which I did some solo touring," he says. "After a year we got back together and played shows and wrote songs for a while and then recorded off and on for a year."

The album marked the biggest transition for the band in their years together. With a new producer on board, the album was an unrestricted effort that allowed much more room for each member to explore, taking their live jam band reputation to its fullest extent while acknowledging the same traits that originally found them an audience. "We tried to make it sound like the jams that created a lot of the material," says Martsch. "That meant holding back on overdubs to preserve the chemistry that made the part interesting in the first place. Working with Steve [Wray Lobdell], who shares this aesthetic, enhanced that feel."

Despite detaching a retina last year during a pick-up game of basketball, Martsch is currently taking Built To Spill all over Canada in the summer and fall with a new single, the festival-primed, reggae-tinged They Got Away in tow. Regarding the injury, he admits, "I wear a mask when I play so my vision doesn't affect my music at all." Ever the optimist, the heavily bearded indie rock icon wears his optimism on his sleeve. "I've had a lot of luck and a lot of amazing people help me and I'm still psyched that this is what I get to do."

Built To Spill

Friday, July 13, 8:15 p.m.

Bluesfest, River Stage

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guigsy Newbie

guigsy

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i think you'll get it in Ottawa - it's a big one, and thats probably a big show for them.. festival crowd, and whatnot.

i've gotten it all 3 times i've seen them, and the song selections for this tour dont seem to be varying too much from night to night.. a few songs in and out here and there, but for the most part, they seem to be sticking with a similar line-up of tunes.

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bradm Newbie

bradm

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i think you'll get it in Ottawa - it's a big one, and thats probably a big show for them.. festival crowd, and whatnot.

How long are their shows, typically? They're scheduled for an 8:15pm start, with Metric on the stage next at 9:30pm, which should give them a one-hour set.

Aloha,

Brad

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guigsy Newbie

guigsy

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nowadays, a regular show i'd say you can expect anywhere from an hour and a half to 2 hours. [edit: ie, last nite i dont think was quite 2, but it was close, thanks to that huge 20+ minute Randy]

they can pack an hour, though - thats about how long they got at lollapalooza, and i dont think the set suffered because of it.

each time i've seen them i've been impressed by the selfless dynamic the 3 guitar players have.. i expected to see Doug take a lot of the big solos and be the real center of attention the whole night, but he's not - he allows tons of room for the other 2 guys, and they're quite good - all of them do some crazy shit, and its fuckin heavenly when they're doing it all at once.

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