Pop Break Live: Built to Spill ‘Keep It Like a Secret’ 1999-2019 Tour with Prism Bitch at Starland Ballroom
Words & Photos by Will Marks
Indie rock legends Built to Spill stopped by Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey on Thursday night September 12 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their monumental album Keep It Like A Secret. They are currently touring with And And And, and Prism Bitch. If this tour is stopping near you, do not miss this show!
Keep It Like A Secret debuted on February 2nd, 1999 and on this night in Sayreville it felt like this band had not missed a beat since then. Doug Martsch’s vocals still sound as crisp as ever and his guitar playing has evolved to a more refined indie jamming full of effects. The band are as tight as ever and played an amazing set including Keep It Like A Secret in its entirety. They opened with a spacey intro which led into a great version of “Time Trap.” Which was followed up with some other indie classics such as “The Plan” and “Carry the Zero.”
They finished up their set with a six-song encore which included covers from The Halo Benders and The Kinks. There was not a person in the crowd who did not feel like they were transported back to 1999. Built to Spill gave us that special nostalgia feeling of bringing an amazing album back to life!
“Soul punk” outfit Prism Bitch, who toured previously with Built to Spill last September on the West Coast, is the current opener on Built to Spill’s East Coast tour. The band dropped a self-titled EP in November 2018 via Freakout Records.
