Spoon- Riverside Theater, 9/17/14

Photo by Stephen Bloch

Timothy Showalter, lead singer and songwriter for Strand of Oaks, sums up Spoon the best when he described the Austin, Texas quintet: "Spoon is the most consistent band of the last 15 years. And by consistent, I mean perfect. I jumped on the train with Kill the Moonlight. With each new record, my world was expanded. How can a band maintain this level of focus for so long? How can songwriting with such a strong, instantly recognizable identity never get boring? I have no idea, but Spoon does it."   

Spoon is a rock 'n roll band, pure and simple.  Lead by frontman Britt Daniel, they pump out quality, catchy four minute, three chord tunes, and it works like a charm.  Their latest release, "They Want My Soul" was the focal point of much of their performance at the Riverside Theater, although in true fashion, Spoon seamlessly showcased their diverse and broad catalog in a robust set that stretched over 20 songs.   Newer tracks like, "Rent that I Pay," and "Knock Knock Knock" fit like a glove alongside Spoon "hits" like "My Mathematical Mind" from 2005's Gimme Fiction (requested by a fan with a sign) and "You Got Yr Cherry Bomb" from 2007's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga.  "The Beast and the Dragon Adorned," a signature Spoon tune that kicked off Gimme Fiction was a stand-out highlight of the set, played to perfection,  The band's classic set closer of late, "Got Nuffin" from Transference ended the band's set on a rocking note.

One thing I noticed particularly in this performance is the driving bass lines that glue together the catchy melodies we've learned to love from Spoon.  The rhythm section of Spoon comprised of founding member Jim Eno on drums and Rob Pope on bass are stellar musicians whose precision punctuates the wailing guitar riffs from Brit Daniel.

Dressed in sharp black suits, the boys from Austin have taken their stage show up a notch since I last saw them on New Year's Eve 2009-2010.  Large blank screens were placed throughout the stage, projecting the band's silhouettes while playing.   This coupled with a top grade light show added to the visual engagement of the performance.   Speaking of the New Year's Eve show, Spoon recalled that experience by playing a cover of "No Time," by Jay Reatard who opened for the New Year's show and passed away a few day later.   It was a kind and fitting tribute to a friend of the band.

For more photos of the show, check out my friend Stephen Bloch's gallery featured in Relix Magazine.