by eliza czander
I became a Spoon fan about 3 years ago, when their fifth album, Gimme Fiction, hit the indie airwaves. New to their sound, I quickly absorbed their post-punk, pop vibe that was consistent with the current indie music scene, but ultimately refreshing and totally fun. They certainly had a sound all their own, and as made clear by Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga their most recent, and many will argue best album, they’ve found their spot in alternative music, and have been gaining popularity among the mainstream. Tonight was my first time seeing them live, and frontman Britt Daniel put on a show that, despite some minor technical difficulties, was pretty fucking rockin’.
After The White Rabbits finished their uplifting, yet unpolished set, the crowd settled into the cement, waiting in anticipation for Britt & Co. to take the stage. Suddenly, down by the gates at the base of the stage, it felt hotter than ever as people pushed forward to get a better view of the band. The crisp, summer air of Prospect Park was now amiss among the many sweaty, anxious fans who were beginning to get a bit restless. Finally, about ten after nine, Spoon entered the stage to find a truly excited crowd in front of them, ready to rock out. Or at least bop around best they could for a couple of hours.
They kicked off their set with fan favorite, “You Was It”, which instantly had everyone who was bitching about the pushing only moments before, now singing in unison along with the band. The set went forth to include “Turn My Camera On“, and immediately and predictably the crowd, you guessed it, starting turning their goddamn cameras on and taking pictures like they were all really ironic. Great times. They eventually played “You Got Yr Cherry Bomb,” at which point The White Rabbits (the openers) came back on stage dancing around with maracas and swigging beers, creating a clelebratory atmosphere on stage, and getting the audience into it, too. It was completely exhilarating, like watching your best buds having a blast in front of 5,000 eager people. It reminded me that the main job of a live band, whether they realize it or not, is to intoxicate the crowd; to bring them on a journey and make them feel a part of something. That particular song and moment made me feel a part of the evening, of the concert, and made me slide this band that I have only so recently had love for, into a new sector of my musical platform. They played the shit out of
that song.
They ended the show doing something pretty rad, and surely unexpected…a five song encore. Britt initially came out solo, and played a beautiful acoustic number from one of their earlier albums. A song called “Chicago At Night.” Awesome. Another one from the encore included “The Two Sides of Monsiuer Valentine”, a fantastic sing-along leaving us all deeper in Spoon love than when we had arrived.
By the end of the night, I have to say that Spoon put on a pretty great show. There may have been moments that lulled a bit for me, but I’m also a sucker for some audience interaction, which there was little of. And even though it’s not so nice, I must mention that Eric Harvey on the keyboards, looked slightly comatose as he pummelled through each song like he and enthusiasm had never met. Britt, on the other hand, as well as Jim and Rob (on bass and drums), were impassioned even when restrained. One thing was clear after seeing
them live: Spoon is out to make music, and good music, not to bounce around the stage like six year-olds after too many Gobstoppers, ranting rhetorical questions into the mic with hopes of loud responses. And at the end of the day, not only can I appreciate that, I can respect that.
One Comment
great review