See also
Built to Spill with Sister Crayon and Helvetia
Culture Room, Fort Lauderdale
September 11
Better than: Maybe any other show we've attended in the past year.
The Built to Spill show last night was like a giant bear hug. Better, bigger, warmer, and more delightfully dramatic than the one that pizza guy gave to Obama last week. It was a campfire sing-along where the stars were in our eyes, not the sky. Not everyone loves emotional guitar sounds, but those who do filled Culture Room with their sweaty bodies, their intense feelings, idol worship for Doug Martsch, and loud singing voices.
I had only seen BTS one other time, in 2006 in Brooklyn. I wept openly to "Kicked It in the Sun." No lies here. The band played for more than two hours as Martsch talked politics with the crowd. My recent interview with the musician revealed not only that Martsch is a warm and open human being but also that there would be no mention of that hot topic at Culture Room (save for an Amnesty International sticker on a guitar, if that counts). Oddly, the venue was as emotional anyway as if the presidential elections were taking place in the venue that night.
During our phone call, I also asked if the band would play "Virginia Reel Around the Fountain," a Halo Benders song BTS performs, at this show for a friend of mine. Martsch took note, writing it down. Keep reading to find out what happened there with that.
