Built To Spill Lee's Palace July 11, 2007

Being labelled American indie rock gods can place a number of lofty expectations on the shoulders of a band. It's a post that Idaho four-piece Built To Spill have reluctantly but competently manned since Pavement's demise in 1999.

Their sound hasn't really changed much over the years (in fact, their latest album is most akin to their earliest ones), but for a band that's always on top of their game, variations on a theme only amount to intellectual wankery. Simply because of their position in the indie rock canon, people will always love Built To Spill, no matter what they churn out on disc.

Though they've been together 15 years, the two shows they booked at Lee's Palace marked the band's first ever appearance in Toronto. By the time the doors opened on night one of the back to back series, Lee's Palace was so far sold out that even celebrities were being denied access. Actor and former MuchMusic VJ Sook-Yin Lee was unceremoniously turned away at the door by a bouncer who seemed unimpressed by her recent fame.

The performance itself, went much as one might expect. Built To Spill cycled through a set of songs that covered most of their extensive catalogue, pausing every so often to apologize for not making it north sooner. It was evdient that the four are exceedingly skilled musicians, but it seemed like they'd lost some of the drive that must have propelled them in the earlier stages of their career. It was all a little boring.

Let's hope they don't go the way of Pavement until there's someone ready to replace them.

(3/5)