BUILT TO SPILL: The Trocadero 10/16 (Philly)

One of the fondest memories I have of college was when I was blaring the Built To Spill record Keep It Like a Secret while scrambling to get cleaned up for an early morning graduation commencement at the University of Delaware (I may or may not have been still drunk from the night before...my sister can confirm). I was pretty pumped to graduate despite a "heroic" intake of cocktails the night prior. Every time I listen to that album I get flashbacks of me gleefully running around dodging passed out stragglers in my POS house on North Chapel St.

I haven’t seen Built to Spill play live since the Ancient Melodies tour. I didn’t catch the Perfect From Now on album tour last year or any You In Reverse touring. That said I was pretty psyched to see them again for the Know Your Enemy tour and not in NYC (apparently Doug agrees..I’ll explain later). The Trocadero in Philly has so much history not only as an old burlesque hall in the late 19th/early 20th century but also for me personally has I saw so many bands there for the first time (Pavement) and some for the very last time (Elliot Smith). So many memories of packing into cars out in the burbs and driving into the city only to leave more sweat-soaked and jazzed up then when we were on our way in. I digress.

I caught a set-list from a recent B2S show in NYC off Brooklyn Vegan and was floored…tracks like Kicked it in The Sun, Stab and Time-Trap. My cousin Danny will tell you...I’ve been waiting to hear Time-Trap live for a decade. Every show we would go to in NYC I would be “that guy” yelling out (booze on breath) “Tiiiiiiime Traaaaaaaap” constantly. Its worked only a few times in my life…one time at a Lemonheads show I yelled out “Frying Pan” and Evan responded “I can do that”. I think it worked at a Quasi show at the Knitting Factory once as well for “All Bent Out of Shape” a rare gem. Again I digress.

I thought I knew what to expect by looking at prior setlists. I almost wished I didn’t see the NYC set-list prior cause I was pretty blown away from the Philly set. Here is is:

• Traces
• Distopian Dream Girl
• Stab
• Nowhere Lullaby
• Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss
• Wherever You Go
• Else
• Nowhere Nothin Fuckup
• Stop The Show
• Planting Seeds
• Sidewalk
• Untrustable/Part 2 (About Someone Else)
• (Encore)
• The Weather
• Goin' Against Your Mind

The crowd was amazing. Young, old...me. They were so into it. Doug made a point to mention to the crowd how awesome they were and that the NYC crowds that he just played to nights before absolutely sucked. Knowing that NYC crowds in general suck from my 8+ years of going to shows there...I knew he was being sincere and it wasnt "lip-service" ("Hello Cleveland!")

The biggest highlights for me was Nowhere Nothin' Fuck-up and Sidewalk. I normally wasnt to thrilled with Goin Against Your Mind off the YIR album...however as a live ENCORE...un-fucking real. Its absolutely floored me (see also: "Oops, I crapped my pants").

They played the full catalog which is always refreshing as no one wants to hear a live version of the new album. However, the new album is SOLID and the tracks live sounded great. Sadly...no Time Trap...oh well...next time. It is truly my white-whale.

Happy Turkeyday kiddos.