Download Fauxbois – “Carry On” (mp3) (from Carry On)
Download Built to Spill – “Hindsight” (mp3) (from There Is No Enemy)
The stage of Slim’s was adorned with two bands from Boise, ID, on Thursday, July 15, 2010; one new, one tried and true. Fauxbois and Built to Spill share more than their town of origin. Both bands play guitar-based indie rock and are projects of their frontmen supported with a cast of deft musicians.
Fauxbois, the four-piece opening band, played songs from their debut album, Carry On, which snuck in under the radar when it was released in May. This was their second show opening for Built to Spill on this tour. The band started out a bit bumpy, but quickly turned out a solid and comfortable set. At the center of Fauxbois is Brian Mayer, the singer and guitarist, but the band has a collaborative sound. Mayer and guitarist Kate Seward traded lead lines and shared shimmering harmonies. The rhythm section was tight and selective. Shaun King’s drumming firmly matched Caleb McKim’s bass playing, which threw in the occasional, perfectly timed melodic line.
Fauxbois hinted at the guitar gallantry of Built to Spill, but offer more in the way of layered vocals and diversity of orchestration from full band songs to stripped down pieces. The pop based songs like “Hearts a Radio” and “Carry On” transformed into strong live songs and were standouts.
Built to Spill took the stage and opened with Scott Plouf’s kick and snare intro to “Traces.” As the rest of the band entered the song, it was apparent that these seasoned indie rock icons were going to cleave their way through each song. With the blistering band sound, Doug Martsch had a subdued presence on stage, but as soon as he began singing his face contorted with Muppetine movements. He began “In the Morning” with his distinct tenor voice to the audience’s approval. The three guitarists – Martsch, Brett Netson, and Jim Roth – seized the wall of guitar solo sound that has become associated with Built to Spill.
With the shattering layers of guitars, the songs easily stretched to seven or eight minutes in length. The band stopped between each song to tune, which was the only thing that slowed down this searing set. They equally distributed songs from all seven full-length studio albums during the thirteen-song set, including favorites “Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss” and “Carry the Zero.” They also included an exhilarating version of “Virginia Reel Around the Fountain,” a song originally released by the Martsch side project The Halo Benders that also appears on Built to Spill’s Live album.
The band ended their three-song encore with the apogee of the night, an elongated and intense rendition of “Conventional Wisdom.” Here’s the full setlist:
Traces
In the Morning
Three Years Ago Today
Untrustable, Pt 2 (About Someone Else)
Reasons
Virginia Reel Around the Fountain
Wherever You Go
Hindsight
Fly Around My Pretty little Miss
Carry the Zero
Encore:
Time Trap
Life's a Dream
Conventional Wisdom
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