Plenty of anniversary tours have rolled across the country in recent years, but few have witnessed a band tweak its lineup to invoke its early-days sound.
But Built to Spill, led by the almighty electric guitarist and vocalist Doug Martsch, was thoughtful in its plans to celebrate 30 years since the release of There’s Nothing Wrong With Love. To do so, the band called in John McMahon, who played cello on the second Built to Spill record, considered by critics to be a defining indie rock album and an essential listen for all guitar enthusiasts.
The recording was also the second of note to be produced by the esteemed Phil Ek, and it helped this Boise-based project become an inspirational force for decades to come.
Fans packed into DC’s 9:30 Club the night of Sept. 9 for the rare chance to hear and see Built to Spill perform There’s Nothing Wrong With Love live in its entirety, only to be reminded of its power and permanence.
Of course, fans marveled at Martsch as he propelled this unit from groove to groove, using his glum voice and his breathtaking abilities to enrich the live presentation of these decades-old compositions.
Revisit Built to Spill’s 1994 masterpiece, There’s Nothing Wrong With Love, via Spotify:
Built to Spill has evolved over its lifetime, but the last few visits to the area have seen Martsch accompanied by bassist Melanie Radford and drummer Teresa Esguerra. Even in low light, it was clear this past week that Doug is working with some of his favorite bandmates of all time, as the modern-day legend would glance over mid-riff to cast a slight smile, and either Radford or Esguerra or both would explode in response.
Thanks to McMahon, favorites like “Car,” “Cleo,” and set closer “Stab” took on remarkable character and were emotively charged, much to the delight of an audience made up of longtime fans and some new ones, too.
After completing the anniversary track list, Martsch and company returned to the loudest cheers.
“Thanks for coming out, you guys,” he said and then diverted praise to his colleagues and the night’s opening act, Kicking Giant.
Peaceful and soft-spoken, Martsch went on to wield his guitar as a stunning form of expression across a five-song encore, entrancing everyone in the room like he’s done so many nights before.
Built to Spill Setlist
Made-Up Dreams
In The Morning
Reasons
Big Dipper
Car
Fling
Cleo
The Source
Twin Falls
Some
Distopian Dream Girl
Israel’s Song
Stab
Encore
Fool’s Gold
Time Trap
I Would Hurt a Fly
Sidewalk
When I’m Blind
Below are home-rolled/developed/scanned 35mm shots of Built to Spill along with opening act, Kicking Giant, performing at 9:30 Club on Sept. 9, 2024. All photos copyright and courtesy of Casey Ryan Vock.
Built to Spill
Kicking Giant
