Built to Spill Brings Their Living Zoo to Denver
Built to Spill | April 5th, 2018 | The Gothic Theater – Englewood, Colorado
Review by Tyler Hypnarowski
Nearly 25 years after the release of their debut album Ultimate Alternative Wavers, Built to Spill proved that they are still among the best in their craft – no matter how difficult that craft may be to define. Blending catchy hooks and carefully crafted introspective lyrics with guitar driven, sometimes cacophonic extended jamming, neither “grunge”, “punk” or even “jam band” can accurately sum up their sound, though components of all can be heard throughout their 8 album discography. And that’s just fine for both the band and their fans, whom approximately 1,100 of gathered at The Gothic Theater in Englewood, Colorado, just a few miles south of downtown Denver.
After opening sets from Black Belt Eagle Scout and Rituals of Mine, Built to Spill took to the stage just before 10pm. The band took a blue collar approach, seemingly doing their most of their roadie work as they came out before their set, house lights and music still on, to tune up and prep all their gear. It’s also worth noting frontman Doug Martsch did not change his guitar once, a red and white Fender Stratocaster which he has played for most of his career. Very impressive for a musician who’s songs require as many different sounds and effects as his band does.
Out of the gate, the crowd was greeted with “So”, a track from Built to Spill’s latest release, 2015’s Untethered Moon. From there, two of their oldest numbers got to shine in “Get a Life” and “Stab”, both of which have been around longer than the time since theater they were playing them in has been renovated, a 1920’s movie theater that was transformed into a music venue in 1998. After telling the Colorado crowd how much he adored Denver and that is was among his “favorite places in the world”, Martsch, a Rocky Mountain native himself from Idaho, led his band through “Understood”, a newer song yet to be released on an album.
The middle of the show saw a back to back pairing of one of the band’s strongest newer songs with one of their tried and true classics in “Living Zoo” and “The Plan”, respectively. The remainder of the set was highlighted by an excellent cover of The Pretenders’ “Back on the Chain Gang” and stretched out, jammy versions of both “Distopian Dream Girl” and “Going Against Your Mind” to close it out. The encore of “Kicked It In The Sun” and “Broken Chairs” was a solid bonus, with the latter giving the trio a chance to once more exercise their penchant for building up a song, bringing it to an essential ambient halt, only it raise it back up again to soaring musical and guitar glory.
Built to Spill doesn’t pull any punches at their live shows, running through 25 years of material with both precision and an authentic feeling throughout. For two hours, fans heard of shades of the band’s influences including Neil Young (& Crazy Horse!), Dinosaur Jr., and David Bowie and others that helped make up their sound. While many band’s have those influences, it’s Martsch’s ever youthful voice, timeless songwriting, and live energy that have set them apart and kept their devoted following through all these years.
For full tour dates, see the Built to Spill website.
