BUILT TO SPILL

City Arts Fest 2011

The Moore Theatre

Seattle, Wa

10.21.11

I first heard Built to Spill from across the hall in the dorms.  When I lived in the dorms, I tried to keep myself off the radar.  The natural manner that my floor mates had with group dynamics made it clear that they were the fittest Darwinian specimens and that I was going extinct.  It came to a point where I, more or less, waited until I was confident that the halls were clear, before coming and going (a habit that has, unfortunately, penetrated into apartment life as well).  In the dorms, I became very skilled at dodging social interaction with the  people that I lived around.  However, some things are inescapable: things that become the air you breathe in such close quarters.  You can’t burn enough sage to satisfy the evil spirit that is the pervasive smell of Easy-Mac.  There is nothing that you can do to soften the rumble caused by charging stampedes of post-shower man-boys.  And certainly, you cannot close enough doors to dampen the constant noise of dormish this-and-thats.  Built to Spill was part of the “this and that”.

Up until recently, BTS was a sound I tried to filter out.  The guy across the hall from me—a gold medalist (to my silver) in the Awkward Olympics—had Built to Spill on repeat the entire year.  As their sound waves found their way through the tiny cracks in my particleboard door, Built to Spill became the backdrop of my dorm experience.  All that to say, I was truthfully, very excited to get the chance to see them perform at the Moore Theatre during this year’s City Arts Fest.  “Yeah great!  I’ve always wondered what they would sound like without a concrete wall between them and me.”

With my ear to my apartment door, I waited until the last rattlings of passersby had settled and then, made my way to the show.  I arrived at the theater to see five middle-aged guys on stage, all wearing loose fitting t-shirts, and either cargo pants or relaxed jeans.  I could have easily mistaken them for the road crew, if it weren’t for the ecstatic sounds radiating from everywhere in the room except for the stage.  The band enters casually and with a remarkable ease.  Built to Spill brought their living room with them, and now you are standing in it.

“Who are you, who come to me to perform in loafers?” I wonder, as they begin their set.  Before this night, I had felt strongly that shows stripped of showmanship had no place in the world.  With the soft-but-fierce competition in media, every band makes arguments and bids for your attention.  Built to Spill offers neither bells nor whistles with their set.  I am a little amazed that they have a following at all—let alone one that easily fills the Moore to capacity.  What Built to Spill gives up with showmanship, they have to make up in musicality and meaning—and that’s what people are here for.  People are clearly not at this show for a spectacle.  There is none to be had.  To quote Keanu Reeves in the blockbuster hit, Speed, “We’re just (2,436) cool dudes, hanging out.”

I begin to re-evaluate my prejudices against showless performances and start focusing on what everyone else in the room cares about: the music.  The sounds are truly elating, as they’re coaxed out of a bramble of pedals, switches and amplifiers.  The ambience of their three-guitar lineup is balanced against the very melodic, occasionally baroque-like movements in their songs—it’s an odd half-breed of shoegaze and jam band.  Even though I have very little interest in either shoegaze or jam band, the way that Built to Spill rides the line is emotive and serene.

I lost myself for a moment in the sad fanfares of Traces.  In case you didn’t know, it’s been proven that infants recognize and respond to music that their mother listened to while pregnant with them.  Subsequently, it’s been hypothesized that preference follows familiarity.  This is all to say, I feel a lot of familiarity with this song; not as if my mom, while pregnant with me, somehow listened to this song 20 years before it was recorded, but like I was indirectly informed of these sounds.  It’s possible that I may have had the seed of Built to Spill planted in my head by the rogue waves that wafted into my dorm room from across the hall.  Even more likely though, in this song, and in Built to Spill’s music in general, I hear so much of what we have come to think of as “the Northwest sound“.

The way in which frontman Doug Martsch bends his strings into a buzz of controlled chaos recalls to my mind the worbly guitars of Modest Mouse’s The Moon and Antarctica.  I listened to Modest Mouse long before BTS, but I am beginning to suspect the actual direction of the comparison: Modest Mouse sounds like Built to Spill, not visa versa.  Despite the two-year discrepancy between the formation of Built to Spill and Modest Mouse, the influence that the prior had on the latter is blaringly apparent.  Deathcab for Cutie also got swept up in the same current of contemporaries.  I can hear something like a seminal Deathcab in Built to Spill’s sprawling melodies, and even in Martsch’s voice.  There’s a fake movie I play in my head in which Ben Gibbard puts on a Built to Spill record and spends hours experimenting with just what shape he has to warp his mouth in order to make his vowels sound exactly like those of Doug Martsch.  By way of familiarity, I am becoming more and more aware that the Boise group isn’t something to shut out, as I have in days past.

By the end of the set, though, I feel a little bit like I’m back in the dorms.  Surrounded by a multitude of people who all have an intimate understanding of what’s going on, I feel lost.  Having been formally introduced to the band only recently, I don’t have any personal significance ascribed to these songs.  To these people, each song is a meaningful, personal experience that I haven’t shared.  Every song is like an encore.  Between the finish of one song and the start of the next, I am surrounded by spontaneous uniform chanting from the crowd.  It’s as if there was a program handed out at the door instructing show-goers what to drone in unison and when.  The faces of the front-rowers are elated.  I can see some not-well-concealed guy backstage who is not at all concerned with impressing his girlfriend by showing any level of dignity.  And he’s not the only one, nor is it just guys backstage.  The room is indignant and ecstatic.  The spectacle that Built to Spill isn’t creating on stage is made up for the fervor of the fans.  My appreciation for the band is far too cold and calculated—lacking all the warmth of meaningful experience—to participate.  So, as in the dorms, I’m on the outside looking in.  Bu,t unlike the dorms, it looks great.  And it doesn’t smell like Easy-Mac.

CITY ARTS FEST 2011

OCTOBER 20-22

(buy tix)

These days, the festival format is pretty much dominating the live music industry.  Not only is it a reflection of a financial necessity to redirect focus on the performance element in an age where recorded material is pirated to such a degree that “consumers” actually expect the product to be free of charge, but the idea to corral multiple artists and genres to present them like an audio smörgåsbord mirrors the desires of the growing demographic who listen to mp3s on shuffle and have come to rely on immediacy, expecting to have the ability to switch between any number or variety of options with no more than a simple finger swipe on their ipads.  The 90s had one primary standout festival, the touring Lollapalooza; now resurrected as a yearly one-off that doesn’t move from it’s static location in Chicago.  That model was mimicked with a more streamlined focus for the female-centric Lilith Fair (97-99, 2010), by the jam band revival set for the H.O.R.D.E. Festival (1992-98), and with the punk  fueled Warped Tour, which has opened it’s arms to a slightly more eclectic lineup -along with extreme sports- in more recent years.  There was also a couple of attempts at multi-day fests like Woodstock, but… I think we all know how that turned out.  Once Coachella started to really get rolling at the turn of the millenium, Bonnaroo picked up the formula on the other side of the country.  Then, slowly (and then, quite a bit more rapidly) the multi-day festivals with huge varied lineups really began popping up all over the country.  Rothbury, Wakarusa, Treasure Island Music Fest, ACL, Vegoose, Fun Fun Fun Fest, Outside Lands, etc. etc. etc….  The tours weren’t traveling as much anymore, so the people began to.  And what about those that can’t travel?  Well, if you won’t have a handful of festivals rolling through your city throughout the year, then I guess every city’s gonna have to throw a shit ton of festivals themselves.

Here in Seattle and the greater Washington area, we’ve already had the Sasquatch! Festival, The Capitol Hill Block Party, Bumbershoot, and Decibel Fest, this year, with the Earshot Jazz Festival scheduled for next week.  Last year, the folks at City Art Magazine decided that wasn’t enough and came up with the brilliant idea to launch the city-wide Heineken sponsored CITY ARTS FESTIVAL.  Not only did they toss yet one more festival into the already overflowing pile, but they also had the nerve to do it in the Fall, in an attempt to drag out the “festival season” which had, by all intents and purposes, already officially ended.  Summer’s over.  People are going back to school.  It’s getting cold, especially here in this city.  Is another music festival really fucking necessary?  Well… I’m not gonna waste my time with rhetoricals.  Instead, I’m just gonna explain why, in fact, it definitely is relevant, by pointing out some of the factors that set it apart from the others and make it a unique experience, while bringing attention to particular elements, performances, and artists that might be overlooked.

The BASICS / This Year vs Last

Modeled after other city-wide festivals like Austin‘s SXSW and Portland‘s Music Fest NW, the CITY ARTS FESTIVAL welcomes over 175 different artists to appear at more than 20 of Seattle‘s top venues.  Last year’s festival showcased performances by acts like Belle and Sebastian and Cat Power in such classic and beautifully majestic theaters as Benaroya Hall (home of the symphony) and the 5th Ave Theatre (est. 1926; originally hosting vaudeville acts).  That’s one main difference/benefit of City Arts taking advantage of all that the city has available; you’re generally not going to able to experience these acts playing in these environments.  This year is no different.  The main issue with last year was that it was the first year and with that comes a lot of learning.  At times if felt a bit scattered and more like a bunch of disconnected events, rather than one unified festival.  We covered the fest last time and, as someone who dealt directly with organizers, I can guarantee that kinks have been worked out and that this year is already running exponentially smoother.

Wristbands & Individual show tix

Unless you’re only planning on catching one event, our recommendation is to pick up the 3-Day All-Access Wristbands.  They are only $69 and cover access to any of the events throughout the entire 3-Day festival.  My only real concern with buying wristbands at festivals like this is how functional they truly are.  What I mean by that is, if there are conflicting acts that I was hoping to see scheduled at the same time or if my pass would limit access to an event that had reached it’s occupancy limit.  Last year, there was more than one event that was standing room only and festivals like Bumbershoot have always had occupancy limits which makes it incredibly easy to get locked out of the very shows that you bought the tickets for, in the first place.  This years City Arts Fest, on the other hand, is not only holding extra spaces for every event to, pretty much, guarantee that wristband holders are not prevented entry, but they’ve also done an amazing job with the schedule to avoid as many conflicts in that respect as possible and there is even a dedicated line for wristband holders.  Not to mention that for every wristband that you purchase, you’re automatically entered to win a Hawaiian vacation for two, through Alaska Airlines.

Broke as a joke?  There are actually a handful of City Arts Fest events that are completely free to the public.

SUGGESTED EVENTS:

There are obvious big names that people are going to want to check out.  These are the names that many people are buying the tickets for in the first place, so we don’t really feel the need to tell you to check out someone like ROBYN w/Yacht at the Paramount.  Then there are acts like CRYSTAL CASTLES – incidentally, scheduled late enough to check out after the Robyn set- who, although we “recommend”, are playing so much this year that their appearance at CAF isn’t one of the factors that truly adds to the uniqueness of this particular festival.  Mudhoney is always solid and worth seeing again, but as a local act, there will always be opportunities to check them out in the future.  Then there’s the one thing that really makes CAF a festival like no other: the focus on various forms of art.  This isn’t just another music festival, that simply includes the word “arts” in the title because it’s named after the goddamn magazine.  It’s actually a festival that, beyond music, also features discussion panels, visual art showcases, and film.  Here’s a heads up on a few events and exclusives that we feel that you should know about…

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CHARLES KRAFFT

(Visual Art)

CULTURE CLUB: VISUAL ART CURATED BY FREE SHEEP FOUNDATION

Thursday October 20

FRED Wildlife Refuge

FREE

Curated by the Free Sheep Foundation, the Fred Wildlife Refuge will be showcasing the work of local Seattle low brow legend Charles Krafft and it’s completely FREE to attend.  We recommend hitting this up, even if you didn’t purchase a ticket or plan on going to any of the rest of the festival.

Originally working as a painter in the more traditional sense, Krafft redirected his focus into ceramics, approximately 2 decades ago.  Juxtaposing  traditional methods of blue & white tin glaze Delftware pottery from the Netherlands with his own, often crass, social commentary, the artist invented what he refers to as “Disasterware“.  Beginning with his own parodies of ceramic collector’s plates -substituting flowers and fields for horrific imagery and that of historic tragedies- he eventually moved on to create everything from ceramic figures of grenades, automatic weapons, and swastika windmills.  His other big trademark comes in the material that he uses for the products itself.  Creating his own clay body called “SPODE“, the sculptor makes his own bone china containing human remains, by mixing in crematoria ashes.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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MAN MAN: Live Laser Show

(music, visual/performance art)

Saturday

October 22

Laser Dome

Doors10:30 pm

$18 adv / $22 dos

All Ages

Dressed in his trademark white polo and tennis shorts attire (headband optional) with white smears of facepaint framing his mustached  snarls and grunts -not unlike a 70s Lord of the Flies porn-star version of John Mcenroe- MAN MAN frontman, Honus Honus (aka: Ryan Kattner), leads his multi-instrumentalist troupe through howling performances fueled with the tense cleansing energy of a ritual sacrifice.  Part Rain Dogs-era Tom Waits, part shambolic Captain Beefheart blues, part all-out tribal drum circle, and part something that’s all their own, the Philadelphia quartet has made a name for themselves through these explosive live shows that mix the spooky macabre vibes of a haunted house with the salvation of a baptist church ministry.  Recently, a more futuristic element of synthed-out blaster zaps have been swirled into the mix, evoking imagery of hovering UFOs blowing up dishwashers and other scattered household appliances in an abandoned junkyard.

MAN MAN isn’t new to the festival game -they’ve played Coachella, Bonnaroo, etc.- but, their performance at City Arts should be different than any before.  This time, they will be one of only 3 different CAF acts to perform in the Pacific Science Center ‘s laser dome accompanied by a live laser show!  Given the unique nature of the event, we don’t know exactly what to expect.  What we do know is that you probably won’t want to miss it.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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COLOR ME OBSESSED:

Replacements Documentary

(FILM)

Price: $6 – 10

All Ages

In the middle of seeing all this music and art, why not take a moment to head over to the North West Film Forum to check out a movie?  It will give you a nice break, allowing you to sit down in a less crowded environment and change up the monotony, while still being engaged in the festival.  Our suggestion is Gorman Bechard’s newest film, Color Me Obsessed, a documentary about the pioneering 80s rock band, The Replacements.  I love a good documentary and can pretty much watch one about anything, as long as it’s made well, but sometimes, directors feel like the subject will carry the film all by itself and phone it in pretty hard.  One thing that I generally appreciate is when someone works to redefine the structure of a doc; to find and take a new approach to the format.  Color Me Obsessed promises to do exactly that, building a film around a subject that never actually appears in the film at all.  The following information -taken from the press release- should help to explain:

“Bechard has been a diehard fan of 1980s rock icons The Replacements for nearly 30 years, and Color Me Obsessed is a movie about that fandom. Unlike other music docs, there’s no concert or other footage of the band in the film—in fact, Bechard has still not met a single Replacement. Their music appears nowhere on the soundtrack. Instead, the film engages fans like Dave Foley, critics like Robert Christgau, and other musicians like Colin Meloy and Lori Barbero to talk about this iconoclastic, deeply influential group and their music. It was Bechard’s way of making a movie about his favorite band that anyone who’s ever had a favorite band can relate to. And if he picks up a few new fans for the Replacements along the way, even better. “

There are additional showings on the following 2 days, as well as a later 9:30pm screening on the 21st.  The reason that we recommend this particular Friday 7pm show, however, is because it keeps your schedule open and allows you to attend another CITY ARTS FEST exclusive later that evening.  The showing gets out at approx. 9pm but, if you scurry just a few blocks down Pike St. and over to the Comet Tavern, there will be an All Star tribute to the Replacements beginning at the same time (9pm) and running until 12:30.  That show is $8 for single tickets and will feat. members of The Fastbacks, The Cops, Virgin Islands, Kinski, Fort Union, Concourse d’Elegance, Cataldo, Kyle Bradford, Ben Fisher, Gabriel Mintz and a special appearance by John Roderick.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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BUILT TO SPILL

(music)

The first time that I was supposed to see Built To Spill was in 1995.  The show was $8 and the opener was HEAT MISER, a band featuring Elliot Smith and Sam Coomes (Quasi).  I had the tickets, but I didn’t make it.  I saw them later that year at the Mercer Arena (now the Opera House) as part of the Bumbershoot festival, instead.  Believe it or not, the Bumbershoot tickets were even cheaper than the other ones, back then (we still sneaked in).  The last time that I saw BTS play was last November in Olympia at the Capitol Theater, a place that is both featured in the Built To Spill LIVE (2000) album booklet and a venue that frontman Doug Martch personally told me that he’s never been able to get a good sound out of.  That show resulted in a reunion of Martsch and K Records founder, Calvin Johnson‘s (Beat Happening) 90s collaboration, The Halo Benders.  It was a benefit and they came all the way out to play that show at a venue they weren’t even very fond of, based on the simple request of a family who’s young daughter was suffering from cancer.

I’ve been seeing BTS shows for the last 16 years (half my life) and in the last decade and a half, I’ve spoken to Doug a handful of times.  These conversations and quick interactions have been in places that vary from the green room at the Crystal Ballroom to sitting out on the sidewalk at night, post show on the streets of Olympia.  Whether we were discussing the possibility of arranging an interview for the site or it was back when I was just some 16 year old kid standing outside of the, now-defunct club, RKCNDY, he’s always been the same equally approachable, humble, and personable guy.  It’s that unpretentious realism that comes through in the music.  The last time that I talked to him in person was in ’09 after the band played a free show on the UW lawn.  He told me that he was in town recording their last album There is No Enemy.  There is some talk that he may be coming to town this time for a similar reason.  This City Arts performance will actually be the one and only U.S. Built to Spill show for the entire year.

I’ve seen Built to Spill so many times, at this point, that it would be hard to count, but it’s one of those rare bands that have burrowed itself into my life and, as cliche as it might be, have provided the soundtrack to so many different stages of it.  It’s interesting when you consider how big Elliot Smith became or bands like Modest Mouse, who not only use to open up for BTS in those early days, but have admitted to owing an insurmountable debt to Doug Martsch‘s work for their own existence.  Martsch, on the other hand, has always stayed a steady course, avoiding any fanfare, and simply offering up consistent work on a consistent basis, for the last 2 decades.  As one of the greatest indie rock bands of all-time, it’s ironic that their consistency is something that may actually play against them being celebrated more than they are, at this point in their careers.  People love a reunion /comeback and I have to believe that, if they had disappeared in the 90s like other groundbreaking acts such as Pavement and the Pixies, they would be getting even more recognition for what they’ve provided to the music world and people would be losing their goddamn minds over them playing a show right now.  BTS have just gotten stronger and tighter over time, as they add more and more to their repertoire.

If you haven’t seen them in a while, you’re likely to find something completely different the next time that you do.  They had a phase when they were busting out reggae versions of Elton John‘s “Daniel” and ending their show’s with 20 minute dub versions of “Cortez the Killer” (Neil Young).  A couple of years ago they began playing the M.I.A. hit “Paper Planes”, live.  When I caught them in Oly they played “Ripple” (Grateful Dead).  The first time that I ever heard a Daniel Johnston song was actually through their version of “Some Things Last A Long Time“.  Somehow, all of their covers sound almost too perfect.  Even the music of others is reinvented and takes on a completely new life through the filter of the Idaho 5-piece.  Everything they do seems so effortless, that it’s easy to forget how great they still truly are.  If you haven’t seen them in a while, this will be a perfect opportunity to remind yourself of just that.  If you’ve never seen them live, then this is a definite must see.  If they are, in fact, recording a new album in town, there’s a good chance they’re gonna premier some new shit at this show, as well.  They usually do.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Daniel Barrow:

Every Time I See Your Picture I Cry

(Visual/Performance Art)

I’ve never seen the full extent of what Daniel Barrow does as an artist, but there’s one thing that I can pretty much guarantee: you’re not likely to get the same exact experience anywhere else.  There are a handful of things that I do know about him:  He’s from Canada, he’s the 2010 Sobey Art Award winner, and he’s supported acts that range from Miranda July to Antony and the Johnsons.  I also know that he is an illustrator and that he likes to bring his artwork to life by animating full stories in real time in front of a live audience.  The equipment that he uses includes a simple CD player and overhead projectors.  To picture a man narrating a story that’s accompanied by drawings on sheets of acetate projected onto the wall, can sound a bit antiquated, but, based on the imagery that we’ve seen, the work is quite impressive.  Somehow, the combination of his illustration style and the method of delivery don’t feel dated, current, or futuristic.  Instead, they seem to exist is some fantastic alternate universe.  This year,  Daniel will be appearing at the City Arts Festival to present one of the stories/worlds that he’s created titled, “Every Time I See Your Picture I Cry“.

The following press release info should be able to explain what he does better than we can:

“Barrow has developed an intimate mode of ‘manual animation’ using the antiquated technology of an overhead projector. From a position amongst the audience he recites live narration while manipulating layers of transparencies in continuous motion. Accentuated by interference patterns and sleight-of-hand trickery, Barrow’s hand –drawn images contrive an absorbing tale of comic book grotesques. “Every Time I See Your Picture I Cry” is a bizarre confessional detailing the grand but hopeless scheme of an estranged garbage collector and failed art student.”

“Unloved and rejected by society, the protagonist begins a universal art project in the form of a telephone directory of ‘profound and intimate insights’ to chronicle the lives of those around him. As he snoops through the windows and waste bins of fellow citizens, his survey is rendered futile by a maniacal killer who follows in his wake, picking off subjects one by one. Invoking introspection, pathos and dark humor, this award-winning performance piece is accompanied by an unassuming Beach Boys-inflected score recorded by Amy Linton of The Aislers Set.“

The following footage is not of the show that Barrow will be presenting at the festival.  It’s from another one of Daniel‘s pieces called, “Learning to Breathe Underwater“, but it should still provide a quick glimpse into what this guy is all about and what can be expected by anyone that makes their way to check him out on Saturday the 22nd.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Freestyle Fellowship

(hip hop)

In the late 80s – early 90s, the West Coast managed to carve out their mark on the hip hop world through the introduction of gangsta rap groups like N.W.A. Around this same time, there was a little South Central Los Angeles health food center known as The Good Life that began hosting weekly workshop-style open mic nights.  The Good Life was somewhat of an epicenter for talent to grow at the time and that environment helped to birth a good deal of future “conscious”/”back pack” rap legends.  The Pharcyde came out of that area and time period and was connected to that scene.  The Good Life crew, specifically, retained a heavy focus on freestyling and some incredibly talented battle MCs came out of those open mics (ex. Otherwize took the title over Eminem in the 1997 Rap Olympics).  Jurassic 5 was born out of those Good Life open mic sessions, as was the entire Project Blowed collective and compilation (feat. rappers like Busdriver and Abstract Rude).  Both part of the Good Life scene and members under the “project blowed” canopy, was a crew by the name of Freestyle Fellowship that incorporated live jazz elements, toyed with scat-like vocal deliveries, and caused some immediate quakes in the rap scene that are still being felt to this day.  Over time, FF members split off to pursue solo careers of various success (Mykah 9 and Aceyalone, especially) and, although certain members may have done work with each other over the years, a proper Freestyle Fellowship full-length hasn’t been released since Temptations in 2001.  Even the 2001 Shockadoom Ep was originally recorded in the nineties.

After all this time, Freestyle Fellowship has finally reunited with the lineup of Mykah 9, Aceyalone, P.E.A.C.E., Self Jupiter, and DJ Kiilu Grand, and are releasing a new album called, The Promise.  In all honesty, the “conscious” rap movement is one that I lost patience with years ago.  Everyone wants to come across as deep, but are far too overt with letting the listener know how “conscious” they are, instead of simply delivering mind-blowing and thought provoking material.  Freestyle Fellowship is the type of crew that has always been focused on the actual craft of their art and whatever labels and/or honors that were bestowed on them came after the fact.  If you’re seriously into hip hop and continue to eat up some of the conscious rap trash that’s being spewed out these days, you owe it to yourself to hit up this show.  After all, these are the guys that these lesser artists are imitating.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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CLICK HERE to check out the full schedule

CLICK HERE to view a pdf grid of the entire festival

I spent a good part of this morning unsuccessfully looking for an old black & white Halo Benders promotional photo from the mid 1990s.  I’ve been working the same type of hustle that I am now for half of my life and, when I was in high school, I spent the majority of my focus on getting companies to send me free shit for my marketing program’s “trade show” projects.  The Calvin Johnson founded, K Records was one of the most helpful and provided me with tons of merchandise and materials, including that Halo Benders photo, which was intended to hype the group’s sophomore effort, Don’t Tell Me Now (1996).  Two years prior, when Johnson (Beat Happening) first started the side project with Doug Martsch (Built to Spill), I had begun hearing the song “Don’t Touch My Bikini” on the local community college radio station.  Both keeping with and ending their pattern of dropping a new album every other year, Halo Benders released their final album, The Rebels Not In, in 1998.  That release contained “Virginia Reel Around the Fountain“, a song that is still a regular feature on Built To Spill set-lists to this day.  Calvin hopped on stage with BTS for a few random cameos throughout the following decade and the group reunited with a slightly altered lineup for a pair of shows in Boise, Idaho.  There have even been some random non-confirmed rumors of a possible new album and/or comeback but, for all intents and purposes, The Halo Benders were a Nineties band.  At one point or another during that initial run, the side-project even made an infamous, yet rarely seen, appearance on a quintessential 90‘s television program.  Thanks to today’s technology, the footage from that fiasco is just one more thing that has managed to resurface in our current times.

The ’90s were fucking weird, but that probably has a lot to do with the fact that I spent my Jr. High and High School days during them [every decade is fucked up and crazy in one way or another].  Still… Punk returned, but it wasn’t really punk.  Ska broke through, but it wasn’t ska.  Almost as soon as it was coined, the term “Alternative” lost all meaning and became as mainstream of a style of music as possible.  One thing that still held meaning in the ’90s, however, was “Indie Rock“.  It wasn’t until around 2000, when I moved to the Olympia, Wa, (birth place of K Records and Kill Rock Stars) that I truly realized how many other people were familiar with the independent artists and music that I had been exposed to and stumbled across as a teenager.  This was also about the time that I began hearing about The Halo Benders‘ brief run in with the law, that had been documented on the program Real Stories of the Highway Patrol.

A lot of people credit shows like The Real World with spawning the “reality show” craze that we have today, but, before “reality” was used to describe methodically edited footage of carefully selected people placed in extraordinary circumstances, there were already shows like The People’s Court and documentary-style programs like COPS.  Capitalizing off of the popularity of COPS, Real Stories of the Highway Patrol ran from 1993-1999, approximately the same span of time that the Halo Benders existed themselves.  Over the years, the band’s appearance on RSHP had, somewhat, become a part of urban lore.  Although many people knew of it’s existence and the details of a marijuana charge, it seemed as if few of them had actually ever seen the episode.  In an old interview for what appears to be a now defunct website, one person did get an official answer from Doug Martsch after asking about the validity of the legendary television clip.

Q: “…did Real Stories of the Highway Patrol really pull your van over when you guys were on tour as the Halo Benders?”

A: “Oh…it did happen. Yeah. But I don’t really want to talk about it. But…someone got in trouble. It wasn’t me. It wasn’t Calvin. Well, Calvin got in sort of trouble for smarting off. I never saw the episode. To me it was just a dramatic, bad situation. To some people it’s funny, but to us, it was a bummer.“

Thanks to the power of Youtube, the original video has finally resurfaced for all of us that have been waiting to see it.  I first found out that it was available in March, via a Facebook post by my friend Benny P., but have completely slacked on getting it up until now.  Unfortunately, Doug Martsch was right about the video, because it’s not as “funny” as I had always been led to believe and it actually is a “bummer” to see another example of how shady law enforcement can be.  This is especially true for those of us who have been in similar situations with “the man”.  The Highway Patrol officers in this video are from Utah, which may not come as a surprise for many of you.  In 2008, a Utah man by the name of Jared Massey successfully sued the UHP for $40,000 after having the shit tased out of him, when he questioned a speeding ticket, and, as recently as last month, another lawsuit was filed against Utah law enforcement who actually managed to tase a man to his death.  A stun gun wasn’t busted out on the Halo Benders, but they did handcuff Calvin and they definitely put the kibosh on their Freedom Ride.

[Video below, after this MP3, taken from the debut album, God Don't Make No Junk.]

Click here to view the embedded video.

The band is still based around Doug Martsch and his usual group of cohorts (Scott Plouf , Brett Nelson , Jim Roth, and Brett Netson), but this album also features numerous other guest musicians and past collaborators.  Sam Coomes (Quasi), cellist John McMahon, Scott Schmaljohn (Treepeople), and Paul Leary (Butthole Surfers) all make appearances.  Martsch’s wife, Karena Youtz is even credited with providing “some lyrics”, but this isn’t anything entirely new. She actually helped to write “Cleo“, one of my favorite songs from their 1994 release, There’s Nothing Wrong With Love.

There is no Enemy seems much less abstract than Built to Spill’s previous work, but it is no less profound. Lyrically, things are just more straight-forward than they have been in the past and, over all, it feels a little more “mature”.  It’s still as contemplative as anything that you would expect from this band, but it just comes across with a slightly harsher delivery [I mean that in the best way possible]. It has a varied range of tracks, which flow from poppy, up-tempo, to dreamy and introspective.  The song “Good Ol’ Boredom” shares the same joyful, funk-boing bass style of a George Harrison song, complete with up-tempo drums and repetitious, sunny background vocals.   When overlaid with Martsch’s apathetic vocals and candid lyrics, it makes for an eccentric and wonderful experience.   The next track, “Life’s a Dream”, features a horn accompaniment by Danny Levin.  It evokes a euphoric ache in the belly with its lacing of La, La, Las that sound as if they came right out of Neil Young’s “Down by the River“.   Levin’s horn-work also accents the tune “Things Fall Apart”, along with Roger Manning (Jellyfish/Moog Cookbook) on organ.  This song actually stings my heart.   It’s almost as if it is able to cut me wide open and heal the wound at the same time.  Everything blends together so perfectly.  There is No Enemy often feels as if you are reading somebody else’s personal journal and I am sure that, to some extent, this is actually true.  It’s like experiencing someone else’s monotony without feeling the boredom.   You can sense their pain, frustration, humility, and even their subtle gratitude for all of it.

Doug Martsch’s voice sounds like what falling in love feels like.  While it’s very distinct, it possesses the same haunting quality of someone like Neil young.  Even with reference to other musicians, BTS has succeeded in creating a completely unique and sincere sound that is all their own.  Nothing they’ve ever done could be adequately compared to anything else, really.  Two seconds into any Built to Spill song and the listener is instantly aware that it’s them, because their song structuring is so unusual.  The rambling guitar meshed and entangled with unconventional, narcotic melodies; it all seems accidental but, at the same time, tightly executed.  They really utilize their equipment, making intricate patterns with sound and often, experimenting with multiple tempos within the same song.  Somehow it all comes together in something like an illusion.  The fact that they have never tried to fit into a particular category or tried to adhere to a certain formula, has only added to their greatness.  I think that this approach has also resulted in a form of total artistic freedom which has allowed them to progress naturally, only getting better with time.

I was at a BTS show once, where somebody jokingly called out “Play some Skynyrd!!!”  It’s a typical cliché move, but it resulted in me witnessing the most stunning version of “Free Bird” that I have ever heard in my life.  They played it note for note and word for word, only it sounded as pure as the first time that I had ever heard the song.  It had been so played-out in my head that I had almost forgotten just how beautiful that song could be.  It actually brought me to tears.  I also saw a Sheryl Crow interview once where she mentioned how much “Freebird” had influenced her, so the host asked her to play it. Let’s just say… it didn’t go quite as well.  My point is not only that they are technically and artistically outstanding musicians, but there is an element of authenticity in their music, which plays an equally vital role in its effectiveness.

This new album plunges into the depths of emotion in a way that contrasts with their most previous effort.  While You in Reverse was still a fantastic album, described as “epic” and “flawless” by many big-shot music critics, it lacked the intimate element that I have always treasured most coming from this band.  Although there was a lot that I loved about it, I wasn’t “in love” with it.  It just didn’t feed my soul the way I needed it to, or the way that their best work is capable of. Nevertheless, many a pretentious hipster placed it triumphantly at the top of their lists as “definitive Built to Spill”.   It was good to see their fan base, finances, and recognition get another deserved boost but, in a way, it felt bittersweet.  I understand that everyone “loves” Built to Spill now and I know that it will sound elitist but, I often doubt that many of the strictly You in Reverse-era fans feel that “It’s 1996 and you’re in the back seat of a friend’s car cruising around your hometown, high as a kite, pondering the notion that perhaps there really is someone out there who’s like you, and that you’re not really all alone, for the very first time in your whole life” type of love.  Arguably, one of the best things about There is No Enemy is that it revives some of that same feeling, which was less potent the last time around.

There is this quote from The Catcher in the Rye that goes, “What really knocks me out is a book that, when you’re all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn’t happen much, though.“  While this is very much the case with Built to Spill, it isn’t even what has made them so much a part of my ideology.  What does make them seem so magical is that, after listening to their music, it begins to feel like whoever wrote those lyrics really is your friend and that they actually do know you.  This effect is probably conveyed because their music shares the same qualities that I would expect from a friend; it’s honest, individual, and unpretentious.  It’s not forced, or interested in achieving contrived reactions from the listener.

I have been lucky enough to have had the chance to meet Mr. Martsch several times.  His speaking voice possesses the same soft, sleepy and tragic tone that his singing voice does.  He’s got these soulful, sunken grey eyes that seem so kind, and he’s extremely polite.  It’s hard to understand how anyone could be nervous around such a down to earth guy.  Still, I was so flustered the first time that I met him that speaking became pretty challenging for me.  The first time that I actually spoke with him was while he was doing his solo thing.  I had managed to catch a free show in Park City, Utah.  The event was part of the Sundance Film Festival and it was very intimate.  Some lady yelled at me for whispering with a reporter from San Francisco while Doug was performing, so I was too afraid to take pictures or anything during the show.  I waited until the performance was over and then asked the songwriter if I could get some photos of him.  Without hesitation, he agreed and led me to a backstage area where his son and some other people were hanging out.  With various, seemingly “important”, members of the press asking for his picture and pining for his attention, he politely told them that he was going to talk to me first.  He posed for a picture with me and his son, who was about 8 at the time.  On another occasion, I had left my ID behind at a club in Seattle.  When I returned to get it, he was there all alone and taking down equipment.  I think I must have scared the shit out of him, but I took this opportunity to thank him for his music and to tell him exactly how much it has meant to me.  I have seen a lot of people give Doug Martsch thanks for providing them with something to identify with, though, so I’ve never felt too silly about it.  Plus, he’s just so damned nice!  The last time that I had the pleasure of speaking with him, it was like talking to an old friend.  This time, he posed in a photo with me and my, then one 1 ½ year-old, daughter and even cracked a few jokes.  I wasn’t nervous at all, like I had been years before, and based on my interactions with him, Martsch has never seemed like someone who would ever want his fans to feel awkward or place him on a pedestal.

I have thought many times about how too much attention actually appears to make Doug downright uncomfortable.  I recall one show where the whole audience sat down on the floor, “criss-cross-applesauce” for a performance.   I believe that it was at his request, but don’t quote me on that (I used to drink a lot).  The earnest and humble “thanks” spoken at the end of each song, during live shows, reminds me of the bashful “Thanks… I like to play” mumbled by Garth Algar, after his crazy drum solo in the movie Wayne’s World.  It’s just funny, because I have seen the whole band walking towards the stage, through the packed crowd of their own sold-out show, and their own fans weren’t even getting out of their way.  They just seem so much like your typical, average guys that people didn’t even notice them. Built to Spill doesn’t seem too concerned with that “celebrity” form of recognition and attention anyway.  There is No Enemy works, partially because it projects the same honesty and disregard for praise as its creators.  The album is just a little bolder than the ones before it, but It’s still genuine.  It’s not concerned with who’s going to like or where it’ll fit, either in the BTS catalog or in general.  I feel like the music of Built to Spill is growing up with me, just like an old friend and There is No Enemy is a welcomed and much needed addition to my life’s soundtrack.

“thanks”

-Minty

15 years ago, a Boise, Idaho music compilation entitled Rotating Tongues was released.  Much like Seattle‘s infamous Deep Six grunge compilation, which was reissued that same year, 1994′s Idaho counterpart worked as a definitive representation of the unique musical climate and artists in the Boise area during that time.  The album featured artists like The Dirt Farmers and Caustic Resin, as well as what is, arguably, the most “successful” band to rise from that scene, Built To Spill.  A decade and a half later, Rotating Tongues 2 has finally been released and, although Built To Spill is not featured on the sequel, frontman Doug Martsch has returned to contribute another exclusive track for the compilation.

Anneliessa Balk Stimpert, the executive producer from the original Rotating Tongues, now runs an Idaho gallery/venue known as the Visual Arts Collective.  For the follow up, Stimpert took a slightly different approach, by holding a 2 day concert at the VaC (Feb 20-21, 2009) and recording the 26 featured acts performing their respective contributions to the release live.  The event also doubled as a benefit for the Boise Food Bank with a modest admission price of $7 or $5 w/a prepackaged food item.  As stated on the official site, each each artist played a “15-minute set showcasing two new songs, never before performed live“.  One track from each set has been featured on the album.  Martsch has been openly vocal about his love for reggae and dub music, and it’s influence has gradually bled into his own work over recent years.  For the song “Save Me“, his RT2 offering which features the songwriter only accompanied by a keyboard, this Caribbean influence is more prominent than ever.

Click here to view the embedded video.

To purchase Rotating Tongues 2

please visit the The Record Exchange

Featured Artists

here are the links for all of the featured artists at their corresponding Rotating Tongues artist pages

• ATTN
• Bonefish Sam and His Orchestra
• Central City Music Company
• Craters Of The Moon
• Discoma
• Doug Martsch
• el Dopamine
• Finn Riggins
• Hillfolk Noir
• How’s Your Family
• Ian Waters
• Juntura
• Kris Doty
• La Knots
• Le Fleur
• Low-Fi
• Mayerforceone
• Netson Family
• Nollifur
• PussyGutt
• Revolt Revolt
• The Magnetics
• The Universal
• The Very Most
• Tim Andreae
• With Child

I was skeptical at first, but it seemed to look legit.  The lineup would start with a local band, Smile Brigade, who would be followed by Ra Ra Riot and then, BTS.  I sent a text about the show to anyone that I thought would be interested, jumped in the shower, charged up my camera, and headed out with my girlfriend.  The bus never showed up and, about 45 minutes later, we finally reached Seattle’s University District.  After eating a giant gyro, I headed in to the Upper Playground to talk to the manager, Jen, and let her know about the free event.  No one that I informed about the show had heard anything about it and I was beginning to to wonder if this thing was even really going down.  If it was, I didn’t have any idea about what the set up would be.  There was a possibility that the performance was solely open to UW students and faculty.  If that was true, it also meant that there would be a very likely possibility that I was going to be jumping a fence and/or being chased by security.  I smoke too much and can’t run as fast, but I was set on getting in.  I saw MOS DEF at the UW‘s HUB building 10 years ago and got into to that one by transferring a UV stamp off of some random girls wrist.

We walked, somewhat aimlessly, through the parking lots, across streets, and down sidewalks on the campus.  It appeared that most students were walking against us in the opposite direction.  Every time we’d hear any sound and get excited, it would turn out to be something like a practicing trumpeter in the music building.  Eventually, we came to an open grass field in front of the HUB building.  There were a few food stands (fallafel, etc) and a large stage set up at the far end.  No fences, no official entrance, no unmanageable crowd, basically…no problems.  We had missed the opener and Ra Ra Riot was already on stage.  The makeshift venue worked out nicely and provided plenty of room for the crowd, which sat in groups and relaxed on the grass.  Back in the 90s,  Seattle Center used to hold a weekly summer event known as “Pain in the Grass“.  Local bands like Modest Mouse and Mudhoney would come out and perform, while families and music fans sat  in front of the stage on picnic blankets and watched for free.  With local events like Bumbershoot becoming more and more expensive and corporate, it was nice to have a throw back to the free outdoor events that I used to attend when I was much younger.

Ra Ra Riot

I’ve heard about Ra Ra Riot a lot, but have never actually listened to them or seen them live before.  They are a 6-piece group made up of 4 men and 2 women.  Overall, they were fairly solid musicians and had a good amount of energy.  The great thing about a band this large is their potential for versatility.  Member, Alexandra Lawn, moved back and forth between playing an electric cello and an Alesis Micron synthesizer.  Wesley Miles, the lead vocalist, would also take turns manning the Micron and, at one point, the bassist (Mathieu Santos) and guitarist (Milo Bonacci) put down their instruments to contribute percussion, while seated on the drum riser.  Gabriel Duquette‘s personal Myspace page states that he is “the touring drummer for Ra Ra Riot“.  It also says, “Hey! Do you want me to play some drums for you??? I might. Write me a message!“  Their original drummer John Pike died in 2007, and Duquette‘s statements make me wonder about what his role and level of investment in the group actually is.  Regardless of what they may be, his contributions to the live performance stood out the most to me.  Duquette is very adept at his craft and a noticeable component, without overpowering the songs.   He adds a necessary punch to the tracks, not unlike Scott Plouf from Built to Spill.

Some folks were singing along to the words and they seemed to have an adequate number of fans in attendance.  I, personally, could never see myself buying a release from them or listening to their music on my own, intentionally.  They have a very accessible sound, especially in the current pop-heavy musical climate.  They sound similar to Death Cab For Cutie, whom they are currently on tour with, and the incorporation of strings from Lawn and Rebecca Zeller (violin) provided brief moments of Sufjan Stevens.   Miles‘ vocals often sounded like they were stripped directly from Strangeways Here We Come.  One song in particular, “Can You Tell“, prompted me to want to answer with, “Yes, I can tell.  You really like the Smiths…a lot.”  I wasn’t sure if I should stop him and tell him that I think that I’ve heard that one before.  James Mercer has also been blatantly guilty of sampling from the Morrissey vocal well, so it’s not surprising that Ra Ra Riot‘s tunes were also tinged with a bit of The Shins.  Like I stated before, they were not a “bad” band.  They are proficient musicians and have a high energy performance so, if you are already a fan of their music, you will not be disappointed with their live show.  Also, if you are John Hughes and thinking of coming out with a new film in the same vein as your earlier productions, like “Sixteen Candles” and “Pretty in Pink“, these guys could easily provide that new Simple Minds-style  teen love song that you’re looking for.  The name Ra Ra Riot makes complete sense to me because they often sounded peppy and amped up like cheerleaders on a pillage.  That whole Death Cab pop scene just doesn’t really do shit for me but, the live show in that sunny grass field was actually quite fitting and I didn’t mind it at all.

Built to Spill

After the Ra Ra Riot set, my lady (Kim) had to head to work, ensuring that she would miss yet another Built to Spill performance.  We walked towards the closest designated smoking area on campus to have a cigarette before she left. On our way there we walked right past security and behind the stage.  Nobody seemed to be stopping anyone.  Ra Ra Riot were loading their equipment and BTS guitarists Brett Netson and Jim Roth were sitting in fold out chairs as we passed by.  We smoked, Kim left, and I decided to try to see if I could get into the photo pit.  I should have just called the school for a pass but, since I fucked that up, I tried to fast talk my way past a couple of men in yellow security windbreakers.  I think that they believed me but, when they told me to go talk to another man with the list, I decided that I didn’t want to deal with the drama.  By now, the front was a little more crowded, but I found a fairly good spot up close and got my camera ready as the band members entered the stage.

Built to Spill‘s lineup is 5-strong these days.  In the early years, front man Doug Martsch intended to rotate the line up with different backing musicians for each album.  For the first few releases he did just that.  Caustic Resin‘s Brett Netson played bass on the debut release, Ultimate Alternative Wavers, only to be replaced with the similarly named Brett Nelson on the sophomore release, There’s Nothing Wrong With Love.   Eventually Martsch settled with a standard lineup, but continued with the 3-piece format and provided additional guitar work for the albums through overdubs.  Jim Roth began playing with the group for live shows, helping to alleviate some of the weight from Martsch‘s shoulders, until he became a full-fledged member.  A few years back, Netson returned to round out the roster and add a third guitar into the mix.

The crowd was awkward and surprisingly small.  Built to Spill regularly sell out a 3-night run at The Showbox every time that they come to Seattle but, now that they were doing a free show, the turnout was astonishingly weak.  The poster did state that the show was “for students, faculty, and staff” so, they probably went out of their way to keep it like a secret.  It was great for me, though, I could see extremely well and didn’t have to deal with getting drenched with the arm sweat of strangers packed too closely around me.  Capt. OG, another one of our writers, showed up on his Redline and was able to roll the bike right up to the front next to me.  I had to wonder how many people were even there for Built to Spill and how many showed up just because they had nothing better to do.  I saw a good amount of attendees leave after Ra Ra Riot and there were two particular rambling douchebags behind me who wouldn’t shut the fuck up.  “Is this the whole band?  He’s got a cool guitar.  Ha! Ha!  He just said ‘thanks’.“  Blah blah blah.  Something about their friend that’s cooler than them, but not there.. some other inside joke that’s not funny… another reference to how they have no knowledge about the show that they’ve moved up front to view.  They were extra loud too, as  if some talent scout for dipshits was going to over hear them and give them their big break.  “Hey, I really like the cut of you guys’ jibs.  Here’s my card; we’re casting for a Fallout Boy crowd and we’re looking for a couple of socially inept goons who communicate through XBOX headsets and that women refuse to interact with romantically.  I think you two would be perfect.“  A short Asian girl,who was friends with them, turned around and reminded them that, since this was one of her favorite bands and, since she wanted to hear them play, they didn’t have to stay and could leave at any minute if they weren’t enjoying themselves.  I was imagining myself cracking them in the face when the music came in and drowned out the squawking.  Built to Spill was playing “In Your Mind” from Ancient Melodies of the Future [2001 Warner Bros.].

The band sounded great and, although I’ve been going to Built to Spill shows for half of my life, I haven’t caught one in a few years.  It was beautiful outside and the same old feeling that I used to have when I was 15 came rushing back.  The next song that they played was “Stab” [There's Nothing Wrong With Love], before going into “Three Years Ago Today” [Ultimate Alternative Wavers].  Doug was utilizing  his normal spastic movements, singing with his entire body, and tossing his head back while opening his Muppet-like jaw as if it were resting on a felt hinge.  The present triple-guitar incarnation is pleasantly cohesive, most likely due to its organic growth.  Although Netson wasn’t considered an official member again until years after Ultimate Alternative Wavers, he has still appeared on many of the releases.  I had never really focused too intently on the specific  parts played by each individual member, but Netson‘s warbling guitar work meshes perfectly.  It’s as if Martsch was playing them himself.  The group has sacrificed nothing through its growth.  If anything, the sound has only been enhanced.  That being said, this show did not exactly go off without a hitch.

My first sign that something might go awry came before any music had even began.  Doug had taken a moment with Brett Nelson to reteach him a bassline to one of their songs.  After one song in the performance, Nelson even made a comment, away from the mic, about how rough they had done.  After “Three years Ago Today“, the next song that came in the set-list was “You Were Right” [Keep it Like a Secret], in which Martsch noticeably fumbled with the lyrics repeatedly.  BTS then played “Virginia Reel Around the Fountain” by The Halo Benders, Martsch‘s side-project with K-Records founder Calvin Johnson (Beat Happening, Dub Narcotic Sound System, etc).  By now they had already played 5 different tracks and not one of them was from the same album.  Next came “Else” and then “Conventional Wisdom” from You in Reverse.  That one was a fucking disaster.  If you know this song, then you probably know that there is a really strange part through out it where it changes up and sounds almost as if the bottom is dropping out.  That effect stretched a little too long at points and the transition was none too smooth.  Martsch continuously tried to retune his guitar in the middle of it.  I actually expected them to stop a few times at the beginning and start over, but they trucked through it.  The lyrics weren’t working out so the singer stopped trying .   Eventually, they just went into the extensive ending jam instead.

For the next song they went back to basics and played “Big Dipper“.  This one came through pretty solid.  It was still hot as fuck out and someone brought them some towels to wipe the sweat off.  Martsch had been wearing sunglasses and a black cap to block out the sun and it made him look like a sniper.  The young Asian girl, who helped quiet her friends earlier, was still standing next to me.  I was surprised to hear her say, “He’s so sweaty!  I wanna fuck the shit out of him!“  in a gruff voice.  My friend Amanda showed up with her daughter and I finally ran into Onsen by the end of the show, as well.

The last few songs included “Sidewalk“, “Car“, and “Goin’ Against Your Mind“.  They finished the show off with an extended pedal-heavy version of “Carry the Zero“.  A few tours back,  BTS were ending many of their shows with a crazy 2o minute jammed-out dub version of Neil Young‘s clasic “Cortez the Killer“.  This shows finale wasn’t as intense or drawn out but it was still packed with effects, including what sounded like a reverse delay.  The show was over and the crowd dispersed.  Although the performance was wrought with mistakes, I still really enjoyed myself.  Even when Built to Spill fucks up, they still sound better than most bands and it was great to see the show with old friends and a limited crowd.  I went to some of my first Built to Spill shows ever with Amanda and I’ve been seeing them since back when they still had openers like Heatmiser, Elliot Smith and Sam Coomes‘ (Quasi) old band.

I’ve met and spoken with Doug Martsch countless times over the last decade and a half.  He has always been extremely nice and beyond accommodating with his time.  The band was handing down set lists and signing posters for the few honest fans and stragglers that were left behind.  They did all of this in the middle of breaking down their set.  Amanda wanted to say hi to him and get one of the posters signed for her daughter but, since we’ve both met him in the past and know that he would have been completely gracious about it, we still didn’t want to bother him.  It was clear that he was busy.  We were about to leave but Onsen asked us to wait for him and said that he would be right back.  As we were waiting, Martsch stepped past the security who had, apparently, decided to step up their game.  I walked over to the songwriter while he was signing some posters for a waiting fan.  He was using a pencil, so I asked the guy if he wanted to use the Sharpie that I had in my camera bag.  “No thanks.  Pencil lasts longer.  Markers fade.“  “Oh…really?“  I asked.  “Oh wait, that’s right.  Pencils are forever.  Isn’t that what they say?“  He ignored me but Martsch chuckled.  Still signing the posters he responded with,  “They’ll start saying it now.”

Once that was done, he signed a poster for Amanda‘s daughter Stella, who is only 1 1/2 years old, and posed for a picture with her.  Amanda told him how Stella had a look of surprise throughout the show as if to say, “How does he know these songs?  These are our car songs.“  Doug laughed and added, “And he’s playing them all wrong.”

Like I stated before, I’ve met him quite a few times.  The two of us even sat together and had a conversation on a sidewalk on 5th St. in Olympia once, but that was a long time ago.  I’ve mentioned venues to him that he’s played at and he didn’t even remember them so, I assumed that there was a huge chance that he wouldn’t remember me, throughout all of the places he’s been and all of the people that he’s met.  While he was signing the poster, Amanda casually mentioned how I used to randomly give him Homies figurines way back in the day and I could see a light go on in his head.  “Oh yeah!  What was your name again?“  I reminded him about the time that he gave me his phone number in the green room at the Crystal Ballroom, about 5 or 6 years ago, but that I wasn’t sure if it was still the right one.  “It probably is.  Not much changes.“  I told him that I still wanted to do an interview, but that I didn’t have a method that I trusted for recording cell phone conversations yet.  He wrote down his email for me but warned that his typing skills aren’t very good and, consequently, his answers were probably going to have to be fairly short.  I had heard that he would be “DJ-ing” a show at a small local bar the following day, so I asked him about it.  It was true but he didn’t seem to know many details himself.  In fact, he asked me where it was located.  He explained, “I’m not really DJ-ing” and made table scratching movements with his hands.  “I’m just playing some songs.”  I told him that I would plan on going anyway and we parted ways.

BONUS REVIEW:

Doug Martsch’s “DJ” Show

The event was held at a place called SOLO in Queen Anne and was scheduled to run from 9pm until one in the morning.  It was a small but swanky joint.  Not too swanky, but nice and clean.  It had a hip little vintage vibe to it.  Not many people were there when my girlfriend and I arrived.  Martsch was quietly sitting in the back on a couch near the bar.  The area that he was located in was like a small living room.  There was a coffee table and two other couches squaring it off.  Other people were seated around him and he had a little digital set up next to him on a table.  It was just as he had told me, he was just “playing some songs“.  No fancy transformer or chirp scratches, beat juggling, or mixes, but good music nonetheless.

It’s widely known that Doug Martsch is a huge fan of reggae music and there was a lot of it being played that night.  He stuck to a lot of old school sultrier material.  Over the course of the night, he played “Simmer Down” and “Corner Stone” by The Wailers, as well as  Desmond Dekker‘s “oo7 (Shanty Town)”. The playlist wasn’t solely Reggae-influenced, however, as a variety of other genres were interspersed throughout.  I heard stuff that night by musicians that ranged from Curtis Mayfield to Ice Cube.  There were songs like “Angie” (Rolling Stones), KC and the Sunshine Band‘s “Please Don’t Go“, and, at one point, he even played “Jive Talking” (The Bee Gees) before going into a The Meters‘ “Sissy Strut“.

It was a weird night because there was no attention put on Martsch or any advertisement in the bar about him being there at all.  If you weren’t already aware that he was scheduled to be there and play this music, he could have easily been overlooked.  In fact, I would bet that he was by most of the patrons that night.  It, ultimately, got a lot busier but, most of the people just looked like regulars and there was even a mother ordering food and drinks with her daughters.  I figured that, since I was already there and liked the bar, I might as well stay for a while and drink some IPAs.  My friend Brad showed up and sat with us on a couch.  We simply hung out and talked.  It was just a night at a bar but it was a night at a really relaxed and pretty cool bar with a great juke box.  I can’t remember the last time that I went out for a drink and wasn’t bombarded with a bunch of noise and terrible music blasting, so this was nice.  I mentioned to Brad how, the last time that I tried to play a song on a juke box, I ate all of my food, drank a few beers and left two hours later without ever even hearing it.  That song was “Gabrielle” by WEEN and, coincidentally, Martsch actually played it later that night.  He also played their song “Baby Bitch” and “Mongoloid” by DEVO.  Before we knew it, we had stayed for the whole night and were leaving to the staff screaming “Last Call“.

Later on, I began to wonder why Doug Martsch was even in town at all.  None of his bandmates were at SOLO that night, he pretty much kept to himself, and there wasn’t much of a production behind the “event”.  The show at UW appeared to be, somewhat, thrown together and Built to Spill isn’t even currently on tour.  “Perhaps, he’s in town for some other project“, I thought.  I decided to send him an email and find out.  I figured that, if he was going to be around for a while, we may be able to set something up in person.  It wouldn’t necessarily provide me with as much research time as I would normally prefer for interviews, but it would remedy the possible email/phone issues.  I also proposed doing the interview via SKYPE, since that might work out best.  Two days later I received the following response:

doug”

Whether he’s referring to the new Built to Spill album or the rumored Halo Benders release, I don’t know.  One thing you can be sure of, however, is that it will be at the top of my list of questions to ask when this interview finally goes down.

[If you have any questions that you would like to us to ask Doug, please follow this link to leave them in our SOAPBOX forum.]