- Doug Martsch, Patron Saint of Rock
On November 15 Doug Martsch, in a brown rain jacket and a thinning mop of hair, climbed the WOW Hall stage with his Built To Spill band mates and dutifully setup shop sans roadies. “Christ,” I thought. “These guys are geezers!”
Initially, I questioned whether going to the concert would be the “right thing” to do. I had a major test the next afternoon and my conscience was saying DO NOT GO NO NO. But BTS is too hard to resist. I’ve been a fan for some time and I had never seen them live. Before I knew it, their familiar maestro guitar attack–that I had recently forgotten– rocked the living daylights out of me. If the band is an apple of temptation, their genius is baring some badass fruit.
Martsch, who formed BTS in 1992, is surprisingly reserved onstage considering he is revered as a founding father of indie rock. The Boise musician said little more than a feeble “Thanks” between their lengthy songs (which are that much longer live). It seems that for Martsch, the music comes first.
Guitarist Brett Netson did most of the crowd-schmoozing.
“This is dedicated to men who built WOW Hall..and to the people who throw rocks in the windows of corporations,” Netson exclaimed before the sheer force of BTS’ signature guitar echo, loops and feedback, essetnially brought down the house.
(The name “Built To Spill” is definitely not a misnomer.)
Yet it was during “Strange” as Martsch’s plaintive voice whimpered, “yeah its strange but what’s so strange about that/ yeah its strange but what isn’t strange/ yeah its strange but oh well” that their anti-establishment vehemence felt most genuine and the results are absolutely mesmerizing.
Martsch so prolifically converts feelings into remarkably assured rock n’ roll, its no wonder he is considered one of the best guitarists in the business today. He might resent the Rock God ascription, but well, that’s what he is.
Yes, in the midst of popping my “BTS Live” cherry, I became a born-again believer.
Jimmy Carbonetti and Matt Iwanusa met Dave Skeinkopf and Joe Smith in high school. Dave and Joe were Jimmy and Matt’s teachers. The guys bonded over their love of music, a band was formed and so the story goes.
The non-conventional teacher-pupil collaboration has proved successful. Though high school was four years ago, the teachers and their whiz kids possess an endearing teen spirit that would make them one helluva—if not over-qualified—prom band. The aesthetic is easy to intuit, just think 60s British pop rock with tumbledown lyrics, bluesy riffs and soaring harmonies that festoon from mouth to ear. The sound is understated (à la The Kink’s Village Green Preservation Society) yet bulldozes when appropriate for a strummy, dramatic effect. Sure, if you have a guitar and some drums you’re destined to sound like someone else. And though they shy away from ingenuity with their textbook indie rock structure, the music builds upon a pre-“power ballad” era candor that is both minimal and revitalizing. A tribute to their formation, The Subject’s neoclassic pastiche recalls nostalgia for those simpler days of algebra exams and make out sessions under the bleachers.
I first met these dudes when they played at the Doug Fir in Portland last summer while touring with White Rabbits. The Subjects put on such an explosive opening act that I felt compelled to buy their first full-length album, With The Ease and Grace and Precision and Cleverness of Human Beings. I think it’s worth mentioning that I rarely buy full-length albums.
I reunited with the dudes at Sam Bond’s Garage on October 16 and I was pleasantly surprised by their latest tracks on the EP New Soft Shoe, which is reminscent of dance-hall London and a bit more accessible than their past stuff. I sat down with Jimmy and Dave. Like the last time we met, hearing anecdotes about touring the country in a van and what it’s like to party ‘til you puke reminded me The Subjects don’t just make rock n’ roll, they live it—and they won’t let you forget it.
Welcome back to Oregon. How’s the tour going?
J: Amazing.
Have you guys been on tour this entire time since I saw you last July?
J: We had a break. I went to Spain and back to Brooklyn. It’s snowing in New York.
No Way! Do you like snow?
J: Snow is great!
You mentioned early today you were going shopping. Did you get anything?
J: Dave got a stripped shirt. (Points to shirt)
That’s a nice shirt
D: Thanks
Do you remember where you got it?
D: Oak something. Near Willam…e…tay?
Williamette.
D: Ya
I forget that’s a hard word to pronounce. So lemme get this straight. You guys met in high school? But Dave, you were Jimmy’s teacher?
D: Jimmy was in my audiovisual class. We made a video called “Platinum Dreams”. It was about becoming karaoke stars. We had a good time making it and then the band kind of just formed.
I’m interested about group dynamics. What’s the music-making process like?
D: Matt and I write the songs. We rehearse in an old sewing machine warehouse in Manhattan. Matt’s mom played in a funk band. The guy who owns the building produced her album. He also produced The Yardbirds. We’re going to have a huge Halloween party there.
That’s funny. I just listened to “8 Miles High” before I came here. So do you have Halloween costumes?
J: No, not yet.
D: We’re picking up stuff in every city.
Love or hate life on the road?
D: Life on the road is better than working but we don’t get to see as much of the cities as we’d like to. We’re going to bring our bikes next time around. We have this system called “Captain and Co-Captain”. If you’re the Captain you can have one drink because you’re driving. If you’re co-captain, you have to appear relatively sober, but really you can drink a lot. The other two people, well, anything goes.
So what kinda crowds do you draw in places like Nebraska?
D: Nebraska was terrifying.
What did you guys do in Portland?
D: We went to Pita Pit and My Father’s Place
Did you play Big Buck Hunter?
D: Yep.
I’ve always wondered, is it possible to enjoy guitar hero if you’re already an accomplished musician?
J: It’s impossible to play guitar hero if you’re a musician.
So what’s next?
D: We’re heading down to the Treasure Island Music Festival tomorrow. We’re not playing but The Walkmen invited us to hang out.
Sounds like a party.
D: It will be.
