Built to Spill and Meat Puppets at The Fillmore Feb 24th, 2008 - review

Curt Kirkwood- Guitar, Vox, Keys
Cris Kirkwood- Bass, Vox, Keys, Guit-Jo
Ted Marcus- Drums, Percussion (replaced Derrick Bostrom)

I must preface this review that I haven't heard the new Meat Puppets album "Rise to your Knees" and unfortunately was one of those fans looking to hear "the classics" where "true" Meat Puppets fans will burn me at the stake for saying that I thought the set list was a little week (Sooo many good songs un-played) and is Cris Kirkwood really rehabed? If so, good for him because he had more energy than Animal on methamphetamines and had to have woken up this morning with a stiff neck from all that bouncing around. All in all, they were...well...good. with Curt's guitar playing really stealing the show (away from Cris's bouncing). He's a damn good guitar player. Ted Marcus on drums was solid, but forgettable. Not that any Meat Puppets songs call for Neil Peart drum solos but he could have done more. So all in all, I'm happy I FINALLY got to see the Meat Puppets, but was a bit disappointed at the set list. I bet Monday's show (tonight) will be better... ON TO THE MAIN ACT!

Built to Spill
How was the Built to Spill show? Good. Again, a bit disappointed with the set list, but "Goin' against your mind" and "The Plan" saved the day. I really like the more rockin' Built to Spill because they do it so fucking well. I don't want to say that the other stuff is "fluff" but live? It doesn't translate as well as the rock. I do have to say that Doug Martsch is a very polite front man with a very nice "thank you" after every song. He goes into a bit of a trance much like Thom Yorke (in a way) when he's singing with his head sorta doing a weird vibrating thing and his facial expression very distant. The strangest thing for me was to hear so much rockin' but not a lot of rollin'.... and what I mean by that is that I don't understand how Mr. Martsch just sorta stands there not hitting any rock and roll poses during very rockin' moments. He's extremely still with just his right arm just sorta moving back and forth...interesting.

Final verdict? Well, with the Meat Puppets AND Built to Spill on the same bill I had extremely high expectations and expected a show of epic proportions. That being said, I wasn't blown away. All in all it was a good show, and I'm very happy I went... the best thing? I got the sweet Fillmore poster!