Built to Spill live @ The Salt Shed, Chicago IL (July 13th, 2025) [Complete Set]

I first heard Built to Spill via an acquaintance. Cool dude, worked at a record store, had a 4-track, great taste in music. We were all driving together from Ottawa to Montreal in April of 1996 to go see an Archers of Loaf show and he was in charge of the music. The compilation 'The Normal Years' was about to come out, and he had made a mix of the band's first couple of records. I was hooked; when the album came out a week later, I had to get it. So began a torrid love affair. The first several BTS records were filled with scrappy idiosyncratic vocals and guitar-driven indie pop courtesy of one Doug Martsch, the band's leader, and his merry band of musical companions. But then in 1997 came the essentially perfect 'Perfect From Now On', a sprawling and majestic record filled with intricate, complex and psychedelic guitars, with several jams topping the 6-7 minute mark. Next came a refined take on their earlier indie pop via 1999's 'Keep It Like a Secret', replete with hooks and exquisitely layered guitars and some of their most memorable pop songs. The band's output has slowed down significantly since the early 2000's, a combination of Doug's fastidiousness in terms of the writing and recording process, shifts in band personnel, and perhaps a desire for greater work/life balance rather than balls to the walls touring. I never got a chance to see Built to Spill at the height of their powers in the late 90's and early 00's. But I've been on a run lately. First came a show in which the band opened for Guided by Voices for GBV's 40th anniversary shows in their hometown of Dayton OH in August of 2023. Then in October of 2024, BTS played at Best Friends Forever in Las Vegas NV (   • Built to Spill, Best Friends Forever 2024,...  ). For the trifecta, I got to see the band on a short co-headlining tour with fellow indie legends Yo La Yengo, at The Salt Shed in Chicago IL. The band played a tight 13 song set mixing newer material and some of the classics. Just a spectacular evening well worth the 13 hour drive for this indie_musc_traveller. Enjoy!! ps: as always, please support these bands by getting out to see them if you get the chance, and by purchasing their music and merch if you can. pps: Sometimes it can be a bit of a crapshoot going to a show on your own; on this evening, I had such amazing conversations with a whole lot of you. I tip my hat to thee and hope you enjoy this shared memory. #2025 #livemusic #builttospill http://www.builttospill.com/ facebook.com/builttospill x.com/built_2_spill instagram.com/builttospill    / builttospill   The Set List 00:00:00 (an intro) 00:00:31 (the band takes the stage) 00:00:41 Fool’s Gold 00:04:45 Living Zoo 00:09:26 Distopian Dream Girl 00:14:14 The Plan 00:21:01 Tomorrow 00:26:45 Center of the Universe 00:30:14 Strange 00:38:12 Twin Falls 00:40:08 Else 00:44:38 I Would Hurt a Fly 00:50:41 Gonna Lose 00:53:43 Randy Described Eternity 01:03:41 Carry the Zero 01:12:41 (end credits)