Built to Spill Fitzgerald's November 22, 2013

As Friday's temperatures plunged into the low 40s, Fitzgerald's provided some welcome warmth. Thanks to a packed-in sold-out crowd awaiting beloved Boise rockers Built to Spill, the room grew steamy in no time.

Before the band began playing, front man Doug Martsch approached the mike without saying a word, yet somehow just his presence was enough to ignite boisterous cheers. He milked the attention for a moment, smiling, before playing set opener "Stop the Show."

At the first notes, the crowd cheered in approving recognition. Similar to BTS's last Fitz show, this was clearly a schooled and adoring fan base.

Martsch looked like his typically unassuming self, only now with a little more grey in his beard and a little less hair on his head.

Built to Spill haven't released an album since 2009's There Is No Enemy, though they're currently writing songs for a forthcoming 2014 release, according to a recent press release. On Friday, they managed to represent every album in their extensive catalog, tapping mostly into older albums like 1994's There's Nothing Wrong With Love and 1999 gem Keep It Like a Secret.

Martsch isn't exactly known for his showy stage aura or loquaciousness, but he seemed a tad off at first -- this could be because the band's van broke down en route to Houston; the delay caused BTS to miss a proper sound check, so the first few songs were touch-and-go until they found their groove. A couple songs in, Martsch was noticeably more relaxed. As usual, he only addressed the crowd with a quick "Thanks" between songs.

"Carry the Zero" closed the first set, as fans sang along with Martsch's every word. When the band returned to the stage for an encore, he acknowledged the crowd's unyielding enthusiasm: "Every once in a while, an audience will sing along," he said, "but you guys sing along better than any!"

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