The very first thing that caught me about Built to Spill is how ridiculously beat up the band’s guitars are. But that’s expected; hell, the band’s been going for no less than 17 years now, and singer/guitarist Doug Martsch is sporting more than a bit of gray in his beard.
Luckily, the quality of the show didn’t suffer. The band put forth a solid, if not groundbreaking, performance highlighted by the group’s noted instrumental triple guitar jams. Martsch sounded just fine, even if the volume on his mic was frustratingly low at points. The most curious parts of the show came in the form of the mannerisms of guitarist Brett Netson. Early on, he looked to be literally on the verge of tearing up, which went away when he happily kicked a stray beach ball off the stage. He sat down and smoked when he had no part in the song, and only began to seem enthused on the last few cuts, when he finally began to move around the stage.
None of that changed the music itself, of course. It was all handled quite adequately. No real problems, but with seasoned veterans like Built to Spill, would you expect anything less?
Built to Spill – “Temporarily Blind” [MP3]
More photos after the jump.
[All photos by James B. Hale/Knox Road from Siren Music Festival]
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