October 2010, 40 Watt, Athens, Ga.
Doug Martsch had to laugh.
He came to the encore armed with a guitar and a song, a song the audience wanted to help along with a gentle hand clap. But what makes Built to Spill songs so good is that while they can be catchy, they aren’t simple, and sometimes the hand clap just won’t work.
“Can we do the next song without the hand clapping,” Martsch said. “That’s how I rehearsed it.”
I was a latecomer to Built to Spill, one of only two bands I know of from Boise, Idaho (the other — Paul Revere & the Raiders). There was a time I got them mixed up with Elf Power — both started at the same time and sound a little bit like one another — but after moving to Athens I didn’t make that mistake. It was my wife who clued me on the band, she had a copy of Keep It Like a Secret in her CD collection, and when I first heard “The Plan,” the band brought me right in. Ancient Melodies of the Future from 2001 would only make me like the band that much more.
The 40 Watt show was a showcase of what Built to Spill does well — play epic songs with a reserved passion. Throughout the hour and a half show the band picked through selections from its seven albums, all perfectly played and led by Martsch, who can play the hell out of the guitar. The night included songs such as “Strange,” “Joyride,” “You were Right,” “Life’s a Dream,” “Hindsight” and “Big Dipper”.
The set ended with a rousing version of “Going Against Your Mind,” a 10-minute wonder that put the crowd of 300 or so into a dancing mood. The night ended with “Liar” and an extended jam of “Broken Chairs”. It was rousing, a nice pick-me-up for a quiet Tuesday night.
