Taking to the Levitation stage Sunday evening, Built To Spill delivered a nostalgic, psychedelic set complete with ample distortion and yearning vocals from frontman Doug Martsch.
Opening with “Fool’s Gold,” a track off their latest album, When The Wind Forgets Your Name, Built To Spill established a melancholic tone, singing, “It was only a dream but it still felt good
/ To spend a little time thinking something mattered.”
Amidst mesmerising lights, Built To Spill transitioned into more energetic realms with “The Plan,” before delivering a powerful performance of “Reasons.” The audience’s cries blended with Martsch, pleading, “They are all reasons to me / They are all reasons to be.”
Photo by Dina Zeid.
Bleary guitar, heavy distortion, and a persistent beat carried the crowd into a hypnotic performance of “I Would Hurt a Fly,” off of Built To Spill’s 1997 album, Perfect from Now On. Martsch cemented his guitar virtuoso status with a wailing solo and ample wah-wah effects, gaining cheers from the audience. The anthemic track proved a highlight of Built To Spill’s set, proving the perfect song choice for the trippy, psychedelic visuals projected on the Levitation stage.
Curating a wonderfully psychedelic set list, Built To Spill complemented Levitation’s ambiance. In addition to sonic greatness, the performance allowed audience members to reminisce on their first introduction to the band’s signature sound that came to define the malaise of Gen X. One fan mused on the role Built To Spill, and the following act, Pavement, played in his life, providing a soundtrack to his high school years.
Closing out the set, Built To Spill performed their most popular song, “Carry the Zero.” Twinkling guitar opened the track, building in energy as the performance reached its peak, with Martsch and the crowd joining in unison to proclaim, “And you've become / What you thought was dumb / A fraction of the sum.”
Photo by Dina Zeid.
Photo by Dina Zeid.
Photo by Dina Zeid.