Went to see Built to Spill at the Madrid last night. I was surprised they were touring since they haven’t released an album since I last saw them in 2001 (though apparently a new album may be out this fall). I certainly wasn’t complaining though; I was thrilled to see them again and definitely not disappointed to hear a lot of their older material. It’s just that good. Heard a couple songs which I thought were probably new stuff though, and they sounded awesome. If the new album is like that it should be great, whenever it gets here.

I think the Madrid is now one of my favorite venues in KC, though it seems to be rarely used for shows. It’s really open inside, has an awesome balcony, and isn’t hot, sweaty, and odor-filled. It’s definitely nicely restored. Jolayne and I sat up on the balcony, because you know, we’re old and lazy. It was a great view though. I’m really hoping to be able to see more shows there in the future.

Comments

Comment by Neal on 2005-05-27 13:14:52 +0000

When Brett and I saw Cake recently, we made a bee-line to the few chairs in the balcony of the PromoWest Pavillion. Squeezing into a standing floor space near the stage is just not worth it.

Also, about half way through the opening band I realized that there was no haze in the air and my eyes were not stinging. I never expected it to make much difference, but the Columbus indoor smoking ban really made the experience better.

Comment by Brett on 2005-05-27 18:58:07 +0000

I agree, The Madrid is a pretty nice venue. That’s where I saw Shiner’s last shebang back in January ’03. The setup is not unlike the Newport, but it’s a lot cleaner. I saw the first half of the show from right up front and then headed up to the middle balcony to check out the rest of it. Both were great spots.