July 14 2007: Built to Spill - Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington VT

On December 9 1999 I ponied up $10 to see Built to Spill play at the Crystal Ballroom. I'd never seen them before it was my first time at the Crystal too. And I've since caught a whole lot of shows. This was my eleventh I think, and a couple of Doug's solo shows as well. But none since leaving Portland. In fact, it had been exactly two years, one month and four days since I last saw them. Too long. Longer than I'd ever gone in the past, for sure. So I was really really excited. Ask Marie. We were a little late coming from her friend's house and I was freaking out in the car like I haven't done in a long long time. And then when we arrived with exactly enough time to buy $3 pints of Long Trail and there were maybe half the people there that would pack into the Crystal and we were able to waltz right up the front and there they were, Doug and Jim and Nelson and Netson all tuning up their guitars, and then they go right into "Liar," I just didn't know what to do with myself.

You know that Hold Steady tune that talks about certain songs getting scratched into our souls? I don't think anything could be more scratched into my soul than Built to Spill songs. Songs like "Car" and "Nowhere Nothing Fuckup" and "Made-Up Dreams" and "In the Morning" and "Velvet Waltz" and "Stab" and "Time Trap" and "Else," all of which they played. And then some of the great newer ones like "Goin' Against Your Mind" and "Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss" and "Wherever You Go." Those songs.....especially "Car," which was just Doug and Nelson and was beautiful and I hadn't heard it since 2001. And especially "Made-Up Dreams," which I can't describe how it felt to mouth along "These thoughts are old let's keep it cold" and which I hadn't seen played since I saw Doug do it solo in 2002. Jesus. I love these songs so much I cannot begin to describe.

And then the set was closed with "Carry the Zero," and they came back for an encore of "Randy Described Eternity" with a ten-minute feedback jam outro, and wow. The show ended and I was ecstatic and Marie had bailed but Caitlin had arrived so Caitlin and I got a couple more beers before heading back to the campground just outside of Burlington where we were staying with Mariah, and I was happy. And I'm still singing "Randy Described Eternity" to myself, pretty much around the clock.