I met up with some more friends and baked in the sun as Built to Spill rumbled through a feedback laden set as my neck turned into tanned leather.  I've always loved Built to Spill, but the last time I saw them live, they let me down and I've been leary of forgiving them.  Doug Martsch put out a tremendous solo album on slide guitar and followed it up with a small tour, which I was lucky enough to catch in 2002.  Outside that one shining moment, the band as a whole may have reached its potential.  The set was enjoyable, somewhat concise without the meandering cover of Neil Young's Cortez the Killer they've made a staple of live shows lately. 

After taking a much needed break swimming in the cool and refreshing waters of Barton Springs, which on this 107 degree day were exactly 40 degrees cooler than the air temperature, we headed back into the festival.  I wandered around, grabbed some food and headed towards the Fiery Furnaces. 

I've liked this band a lot ever since i saw them at the Mercury in 2003.  I saw a quick live performance the following year at Waterloo Records, and caught their epic little EP they put out last year at the end of that tour.  Filled with crazed songs with insane stories and changing melodic tempos, there's never a dull moment, especially live.  They took the stage with a confident and relaxed swagger that made it feel like a punk show circa1983.  They soon tore through song after song from their past few albums, nearly changing the music entirely while keeping everything intact.  They held onto a haphazard, "ah, let's try it this way' attitude throughout, and the show was one of the best I've seen in a long, long time. 

The night was topped off by a set by Bloc Party, who have captured the hearts and minds of many a true music fan's heart.  They sounded fine, seemed flashy, and had a horde of supporters who pogo danced with the best of them.  On the way out I passed by Oasis, who apparently are still alive.  I was disappointed they didn't break out 'Wonderwall' as their first song, unapologetically telling the crowd, "We were the best band in the world once, and we're still here!".  Instead, they meandered through a b-side or a new tune, and I didn't feel like sticking around to see any more..

your hipster delight: bloc party

Barton Springs in late September:
 

click on a picture for a bigger view

the cast of Clueless?

bike city

fiery furnaces on stage
 

'Smelling Cigarettes' by The Fiery Furnaces Very much vodka and too much tequila: those are the ways I learned to deal. Across against the light and the sleet scalds my sight, stunned I stayed put and a billboard truck runs over my foot. So things are really hopping; and my unemployment’s stopping; and my kitty cat’s copping; and I need to forget. So I go to the window and smell a cigarette. Now I’m in the clutches of my crutches: I’m laid up, and I sip from my cup, and I look outside. And I see Christopher Hyde- who just got divorced, and there’s a restraining order enforced- going in his ex-wife’s garage. I’m just drunk enough to open the window, yell out gruff: “Don’t you key that brand-new Camry.” And he gave me the cursor, “Damn,” returning to the spot he was, “Mind your own business you!” And I wag my finger, “You’re not doing what you’re supposed to do.” And then he’s coming toward me, and I took a swig of my tequila ‘cause it made me feel a little nervous as he started across against the light: but he didn’t look to his right as he didn’t stay put. And a billboard truck came and ran over his foot. And the cops responding called out to me, “Hey is this your cat?” “Yeah, but sometimes it forgets. Ah, wait a minute. I gonna come out there and smell a couple a cigarettes.” Don’t you hurry-worry with me…