Life Changers

To be perfectly frank (and you may very well be aware of this by now), your friendly neighborhood Austin Music Minute maven is no spring chicken. Recently recovering a cassette copy of Built to Spill‘s Perfect From Now On (1997) brought on a flood of memories. It was sort of a guilty pleasure, considering all the punk and metal I’d immersed myself in. Today, it’s often regarded as an indie rock masterpiece because of its subtleties and low-key, low-fi dynamics, and it’s also very obvious why, to this day, so many bands consider Built to Spill such a tremendous influence on their work.

A recent Tweet caught my attention because it hammered this very point straight home, especially because of who Tweeted it. Songwriter and musician Jim Ward, who’s known for his time with At the Drive In, Sparta and his own musical project Sleepercar, sent out the following message to the universe, specifically to his hometown – coincidentally, my hometown, El Paso, TX: “I rarely ask you for anything, El Paso, but please go see Built to Spill. They are a life-changing band.” Yep. Backing up homeboy on that one.

Make plans to catch Built to Spill tonight at Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater, 801 Red River. Slam Dunk and Genders start out the night, followed by a great aftershow with Ha Ha Tonka and Samantha Crain, and Built to Spill’s Doug Martsch is doing a DJ set. Yes, the chilly temperatures are challenging tonight, but bundle up. It’s gonna be worth it. So recommended.

Very special thanks to my friend, broadcasting colleague and fellow El Pasoan and radio goddess Marina Monsisvais for the Jim Ward Tweet info.

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