Built to Spill
Vanguard
September 30, 2026
My relationship with “dad rock” is a little complicated. Instead of Phish or Steely Dan, my dad’s rock comprised ‘90s indie legends, including Built to Spill, the highly-influential outfit out of Boise. So, when Built to Spill graced Vanguard’s stage last week, we went together, smoking a joint on the way to the venue as he explained the importance of the band to expanding his artistic and musical worldview as a young adult.
Walking in through the crowd of lingering cigarette smokers (no vapes, too high-tech for this lo-fi crowd), one got a sense of the generation that adores Built to Spill. There were a few under-40 concertgoers (including someone in their early 20s googling “Built to Spill albums” in front of us), but the ‘90s college reunion vibe was key to the experience.
The band trickled onto the stage without fanfare, quietly adjusting pedals and gear before launching into There’s Nothing Wrong with Love’s “Stab.” The response from the crowd was immediate and Built to Spill unrelentingly kept the audience’s attention for the rest of the show.
Where most bands place their drummer behind the other members, Teresa Esguerra was in line with lead guitarist (and only consistent band member) Doug Martsch and bassist Melanie Radford on the Vanguard stage. Together, they produced a unified wall of fuzz and sound.
Martsch is particularly adept at wringing out smooth guitar solos in between complex and layered lyrics. There’s definitely jam-band adjacent meandering that happens at a Built to Spill show, but they make it feel so cool. I’m notoriously anti-jam-band, and maybe it was the aforementioned joint, but I had no problems being swept away with their inspired instrumentals. If only all jam bands had Doug Martsch!