By Mike Caulo
Whatever happened to the guitar solo? It seems like bands these days are too “good” for an old fashioned single note solo. As if it would ruin a band’s Indie rep and magically turn them into a jam-band. Luckily, it’s good to know there are bands out there that still roll their sleeves up and rock.
Built to Spill, everyone’s favorite band from Boise, Idaho (like you’ve ever heard of any others), devoted two nights to the Paradise Rock Club in Allston/Brighton last week in honor of the guitar solo.
In the ’90s, Built to Spill emerged from the northwest Indie scene, mixing garage-rock tones of Neil Young and a knack for writing great hooks similar to Pavement. Like fellow Northwesterners, Modest Mouse, Built to Spill was picked up by a major label and released albums to stellar reviews. But what truly makes the band stand out is their ability to stretch their songs out in concert, unafraid to ditch the studio guitar solo and replace it with something more heartfelt and personal.
Both nights featured openers The Solace Brothers and The Delusions. In fact, Built to Spill’s singer/songwriter/guitarist Doug Martsch played bass for The Delusions both nights.
It was clear Martsch and company wanted to focus on new material the first night, performing four new songs during the set. Although welcome, the new songs lacked the intensity of their older songs and seemed to slow the middle of the set down. But, they finished strong with great renditions of “Big Dipper” off 1994’s “There’s Nothing Wrong With Love” and “Untrustable, Part 2” from their major label debut 1997’s “Perfect from Now On.”
When the band walked on stage for the second night, it was apparent that they were much more energized. They appeared to be ready to break loose at the first opportunity that came their way. That chance came in the form of their second song “Center of the Universe.”Unlike the poppy rendition found on 1999’s “Keep it Like a Secret,” Martsch used his guitar solo to transform the song into something completely different and darker. All the crowd pleasers were brought out for the final night: “Car,” “The Plan,” even reaching as far back as “Joyride,” an early song from their first recordings and demos.
Both shows’ sets ended with nearly 20-minute covers of Neil Young’s “Cortez the Killer.” The song slowly changed from slow, feedback-driven rocker to a dub-style reggae jam, bringing out members of the opening bands to add percussion, guitar and keyboards to the song.
Martsch quietly said his thanks and the band left the stage. After a few minutes, they returned to run through a rendition of The Clash’s “White Man in Hammersmith Palais” before saying goodnight once more to the crowd.
