Nineties fans find much to rejoice over this weekend

By Nick O'Brien

Built to Spill plays Town Ballroom this Sunday Photo courtesy of Built to Spill

This weekend brings two shows perfect for the folks who came of age in the early to mid-nineties.

First up, this Saturday, November 9, at Waiting Room, Canadian singer-songwriter Hayden not only makes his first appearance at the new venue, but plays his first show in Buffalo in quite some time. Born Paul Hayden Desser, Hayden started off crafting lo-fi tunes on his bedroom 4-track tape recorder, generally penning heartbreaking, love lost songs about uplifting topics, including a man buying ice skates because his wife drowned in a river but he doesn't know how to swim to find her (video below), or the story of Susan Smith's murder of her two sons, told from the older boy's point of view.

Quickly signed to an imprint of Universal Records, Hayden struggled to find widespread attention south of the border, despite the video for “Bad As They Seem” receiving heavy play on MTV's 120 Minutes. When the Outpost Records label was dissolved shortly after the release of his second full-length album, Hayden seemed to disappear from sight. It wouldn't be until the quiet release of 2001's Skyscraper National Park that he would re-appear, now writing in a more Americana style and singing less of broken hearts. He has maintained that sound, often performing with a full backing group, and his newest album, Us Alone, continues that fleshed-out sound. Often reminiscent of The Band or Neil Young's alt-country leanings, this is a rare opportunity to see a still relevant artist playing to a small crowd. While his shows in Toronto still bring hundreds, a Hayden show in Buffalo feels like a private concert.

Saturday, November 9, at Waiting Room. Doors at 8p.m.; tickets are $18 pre-sale, $20 at the door.

Another great act from the same era, Built To Spill found moderately better success over the years, mostly through hard touring and a rabid fanbase that was rooted in the jam band community. Doug Martsch's scorching solos and Neil Young-esque vocals earned the band a major-label deal, allowing them a great amount of creative freedom. A decade and a half after their releases, ardent fans still argue vehemently over which is the better album, 1997's Perfect From Now on or 1999's Keep It Like A Secret. At this point it's been over four years since their last record, and one hopes that the promise Martsch made of a new album (at an Inner Harbor show before a packed house) comes to fruition soon. Maybe we'll get some new songs this weekend when Built To Spill plays the Town Ballroom.

Sunday, November 10, at Town Ballroom. Doors at 7p.m; tickets are $20 pre-sale or $23 at the door.

Nick O'Brien worked at Mohawk Place for seven years and currently works at Bistro Europa. He plays bass once a year in a Circus Devils tribute band.