See Them If You Can
Some concerts are so disappointing that you have to see a band once more to give them another chance, and some are so good that you can never see that band again. I’ve had both experiences with Built to Spill, so I can’t attend their tour this spring (they'll be promoting You in Reverse, which is due in April). For those of you who can go, good news: They’re traveling all over the damn place.
In March 2000, I had tickets to see them at the Gypsy Tea Room in Dallas. There were two wrinkles: It was a Sunday night performance, and I hadn’t found anyone to go with me; and I was flying back to Dallas early that night from a few days in Las Vegas. Still, I dragged my lonely self to the club, because Perfect From Now On, the band’s most recent record at that time, was and remains one of a handful of my all-time favorites. Obviously, the deck was stacked against my having a good time – I didn’t mind the solitude so much (it beats bringing someone who’s reluctant and then monitoring their mood while trying to enjoy the show), but I was pretty exhausted, and the din of slot machines hadn’t quite left my ears (not that I play slots, but they’re the soundtrack in Vegas). It was an OK show, but I was hoping for transcendent, and it fell pretty far short of that.
I got my wish in September 2001, though. They played Irving Plaza in New York about 10 days after the attacks, and yes, the somber circumstances made witnessing a great show feel, even more than usual, like church. (And yes, the somber circumstances are what elevated it from one of the best shows I've seen to I-better-never-taint-this-by-seeing-them-again status.) But they also just sounded terrific, and tore through a few priceless covers, including George Harrison’s “What is Life” (complete with a horn section) and a spirited “Free Bird” during the encore (Built to Spill is the only band I can think of that could turn that choice from an initial tongue-in-cheek moment into an authentically great performance).
The point is this: I can't see them. If you can, do. It might be only decent, but it might be so good you'll never do it again.
In March 2000, I had tickets to see them at the Gypsy Tea Room in Dallas. There were two wrinkles: It was a Sunday night performance, and I hadn’t found anyone to go with me; and I was flying back to Dallas early that night from a few days in Las Vegas. Still, I dragged my lonely self to the club, because Perfect From Now On, the band’s most recent record at that time, was and remains one of a handful of my all-time favorites. Obviously, the deck was stacked against my having a good time – I didn’t mind the solitude so much (it beats bringing someone who’s reluctant and then monitoring their mood while trying to enjoy the show), but I was pretty exhausted, and the din of slot machines hadn’t quite left my ears (not that I play slots, but they’re the soundtrack in Vegas). It was an OK show, but I was hoping for transcendent, and it fell pretty far short of that.
I got my wish in September 2001, though. They played Irving Plaza in New York about 10 days after the attacks, and yes, the somber circumstances made witnessing a great show feel, even more than usual, like church. (And yes, the somber circumstances are what elevated it from one of the best shows I've seen to I-better-never-taint-this-by-seeing-them-again status.) But they also just sounded terrific, and tore through a few priceless covers, including George Harrison’s “What is Life” (complete with a horn section) and a spirited “Free Bird” during the encore (Built to Spill is the only band I can think of that could turn that choice from an initial tongue-in-cheek moment into an authentically great performance).
The point is this: I can't see them. If you can, do. It might be only decent, but it might be so good you'll never do it again.
posted by JMW at 4:44 PM
1 Comments:
dezmond, my readers must be wondering why you don't have your own blog, and I have no good answer for them.
That said, the best show I ever saw, hands down, was Prince in December 1998 in Dallas. It was a basketball arena, and we were in the upper deck, but it didn't matter. The Built to Spill show I mentioned would be up there. Radiohead opening for REM on the Bends tour...definitely up there. The Jayhawks at the Gypsy Tea Room in Dallas...I expected it to be good, but it was great.You don't like him, but Ray Lamontagne put on an amazing show last year at the Bowery Ballroom (the crowd was respectfully quiet for the most part, which was necessary). Lyle Lovett in San Antonio (thanks to you). And the Innocence Mission both times I've seen them -- beautiful stuff. Elliott Smith at Trees in Dallas. And Whiskeytown at the same place, just because Ryan Adams was a drunken jackass in the classical rock tradition, and nearly killed several patrons with beer bottles he tossed into the balcony. Good times.
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