We might not all be willing to admit it, price but there’s something a little scary about finally seeing an act as legendary as Built To Spill. When you’ve been madly in love with a band for a long time, prostate It’s not uncommon to be worried that they’ve “lost their touch”. Avid fans live in fear of a bad live show, click or a mediocre album – anything that would suggest the band may not be what they used to be. We look up to these people, and we like to think of them as untouchable by time. We don’t want to be let down.
On Friday night at the Paradise Rock Club, Built To Spill erased all anxiety of disappointment.
The audience that sat patiently through all three openers reinforced the wide reach of their music, some were young and some were older, some had discovered Built To Spill recently, and some had clearly been following their career from the beginning. Everyone was equally excited. In front of me, a man in his forties talked about seeing Built To Spill in the 90’s, while next to me an 18-year-old kid checked his watch in anticipation and explained that this was his first time seeing his favorite band. The room was electric.
I had caught a few videos of front man Doug Martsch playing live before, but there’s something mesmerizing about seeing him in person. His joints seem loose like a doll about to fall apart in an earthquake, his body staying for the most part stationary, while his head jerks violently to match the vigor of each song. What he cannot express in words, he says with his guitar, as if he’s singing in two voices. The entire band was focused and well rehearsed, while maintaining a level of comfort with their instruments. The whole set up felt very natural.
One of the most beautiful moments I’ve experienced in a long time came with the last song of their encore. Martsch played the first second of “Car” and the audience breathed something close to a sigh of relief, and all together ended the night singing together like a prayer “I wanna see movies of my dreams” over and over.
Bands like Built To Spill are rare. They are moving in ways that words cannot do justice. They are genius. They are timeless. Seeing them live is enchanting, and you walk away knowing you’ve been a witness to brilliance.