Built to Spill at The Waiting Room, Oct. 18, 2013.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I received the following message via my Twitter page after last Friday night’s Built to Spill  show at The Waiting Room:

“So what B2S showed up tonight? Jam or album?”

My answer: “The album version. The hits. The best B2S set that I’ve seen.”

In fact, last week’s nearly sold-out show edged its way to the top of my list of Omaha B2S shows. Doug Martsch and company played a sharp, measured set that combined the best songs from his classic albums with heavy stuff from the band’s latest. Martsch was in particularly good voice (Is it me or is his voice getting higher as he gets older?) and the band was tight as a tic. The best part, there were virtually no extended jams or drawn-out noodling like we got the last couple times B2S came through town. Instead, it was bam-bam-bam from song to song.

The high point was the encore. Forget about “Cortez the Killer,” instead Martsch rolled out a lush version of The Smiths’ “How Soon Is Now,” (complete with the trademark tremolo guitar effect). Knowing that he likely whetted our appetite for classic ’80s post-punk, he followed with a bouncing version of New Order’s “Age of Consent” before closing with his own B2S classic “Car.”
The full setlist is here.

Lee Ranaldo and the Dust at The Waiting Room, Oct. 18, 2013.

Just as solid was the opening set by Lee Ranaldo and The Dust. Like I said last week, this is as close as you’re going to get to Sonic Youth around here (including Steve Shelley on drums as a member of The Dust). Ranaldo’s music is akin to the more melodic, psychedelic stuff from SY, and featured some amazing guitar solos held together with a tight rhythm section. Gorgeous, dense rock songs, beautifully played. If you haven’t already, seek out Ranaldo’s solo stuff on Matador.

I expect this show will be on my personal “best of ’13” list…

* * *

Rock band Electric Chamber Orchestra (members of Gus & Call and McCarthy Trenching) is playing a set tonight at Pageturners. It’s a warm-up of sorts for a brief Boston tour the band is launching this Thursday. Actually, the band will be providing the “thematic accompaniment” to a couple Boston performances of Mac Wellman’s Wu World Woo.

One problem: The band needs cash for air fare, gas, food and lodging. That’s why they’ve launched an Indiegogo page to raise money to support the tour (Indiegogo is just like Kickstarter). The premiums are pretty sweet, and include McCarthy Trenching vinyl and unreleased Gus & Call material.

Lea Thompson and Dave Foley were in Omaha back in 1999 making the film Out of Omaha (above), which wasn’t released until 2007, renamed California Dreaming (The film also featured a young Nik Fackler of Icky Blossoms fame). While in town, they hung out at Sokol Underground during an infamous 1999 Built to Spill show. Something tells me they won’t be at The Waiting Room for tonight’s show…

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Whenever discussing Built to Spill with anyone who remember the Sokol Underground days, the band’s smoky 1999 show inevitably comes up, the one where Dave Foley and Lea Thompson — both cripplingly inebriated — were hanging all over people in the crowd. That show is described in this 2007 interview with frontman Doug Martsch, a story set up by this seminal question: Which version of Built to Spill will show up for the concert — the poppy version or the jam-band version?

That same question applies to tonight’s show at The Waiting Room, though I have a feeling I already know the answer. The last two times I saw Built to Spill (that 2007 show and the Slowdown’s outdoor parking-lot gig (and why doesn’t SD do those outdoor gigs anymore?)) both were very jam-heavy affairs, with songs that featured long, drawn-out Martsch guitar solos. B2S is still touring on 2009’s There Is No Enemy, the same album they were promoting at that outdoor Slowdown gig.

But just as much of a draw as Built to Spill tonight is the opener, Sonic Youth guitarist Lee Ranaldo and his band, the Dust. His new Matador release, Last Night On Earth, has that same trippy style that SY’s slower grinders are known for. If you’ve heard Thurston or Kim’s latest efforts, you already know that this is the closest thing you’re going to get to Sonic Youth other than Noah’s Ark Was a Spaceship. Opening is fellow PWN band Slam Dunk. $22, 9 p.m.

That’s not the only thing going on tonight. House of Loom is hosting a very cool indie/garage show featuring PNW band Chastity Belt. The band’s latest album, No Regrets, carries on the spirit of ’90s college indie (i.e. early Liz Phair, etc.) and is pretty fantastic. Also on the bill is Seattle garage duo Pony Time (Per Se Records). The show is being promoted as a costume thing, which will keep me away, but shouldn’t keep you away, especially since it’s only $7. Starts at 10. More info here.

Also tonight, Phantom Scout plays at O’Leaver’s with Portland band Genders and local boys Let Alone making their stage debut. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Holy shit, it’s like the Pacific Northwest is invading Omaha tonight…

And of course Lincoln Calling is in full swing all weekend. Get the full schedule before you head to the Star City from Lincoln Calling website.

* * *

Tomorrow night’s pretty busy, too.

Pro-Magnum headlines a punk show over at The Brothers Lounge with The Bugs. $5, 9 p.m.

Over at fabulous O’Leaver’s Oquoa returns with Water Liars. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Down at Slowdown Jr. Skypiper headlines a show with The Kickback and Canby. $7, 9 p.m.

And don’t forget the Almost Music grand opening celebration Saturday at 7 with in-store performances by Simon Joyner and Noah Sterba of The Yuppies. It starts at 7 p.m. and is free, though you’ll probably part with some ducats when you see the store’s selection of fine vinyl.

That’s all I got for the weekend. If I left anything out, put it in the Comments section. Have good one.

* * *

Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2013 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.