TNWWL Tour Opener

I just got home from the TNWWL tour, here is a quick recap:

First, TNWWL was extremely well executed and true to the album. It wasn’t songs from the album mixed into a set like on the KILAS tour - they opened with In the Morning and played the album front to back. It sounded like they really put the work in to capture the sound and feel of the album, and I thought they nailed it.

There was a really brief break after Stab (no Hidden Track, sorry folks) and then they came out and played another 6 song set. Setlist is below:

Get a Life

Sidewalk

Made Up Dreams

Traces

Fools Gold

Time Trap

John McMahon’s cello was a major highlight. I figured he’d do the cello parts on TNWWL, but he was fully integrated into the band throughout. Other than the actual cello parts, he also filled a lot of space that could have otherwise been a second guitar. It was great all around, but the cello worked especially well on Sidewalk, Traces, and Time Trap.

Overall, I was blown away! The band obviously put a lot of work into this tour, and it seemed like they were having a great time. I’ve been seeing Built to Spill since 2009 and this was something special.