Spoon; photo courtesy of KLRU / Scott Newton
Playing songs primarily culled from their new album They Want My Soul, Austin indie rock heroes Spoon played their 4th ACL Taping last night. I recently wrote about just how much I love the band, and based on how early the Moody Theater filled up when the doors opened last night, I can safely say I’m not alone. The five-pice kicked off their set with a pair of new tracks, “Knock Knock Knock” and “Rent I Pay,” before moving back into their back catalogue for Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga‘s “Don’t You Evah” and Transference‘s “Who Makes Your Money.”
Spoon; photo courtesy of KLRU / Scott Newton
Although Spoon’s newest album has received excellent reviews, it was clear that this bunch of Austinites got the most pumped for songs from even further back in the repertoire, “The Way We Get By” from breakout Kill the Moonlight and “I Turn My Camera On” from Gimme Fiction. The best part of a Spoon show has always been the band’s ability to capture the nature of their lean indie rock and produce tight renditions of their recorded material. Hearing the group play in The Moody Theater’s pristine setting with impeccable sound and stunning lights simply added to the appeal.
Spoon; photo courtesy of KLRU / Scott Newton
Band members seemed particularly unhinged during the taping, with frontman Britt Daniel dropping the mic a couple of times and guitarist Eric Harvey managed to both take out his mic stand and get the cord wrapped around the neck of his guitar before flinging the mic to the floor. Not to mention that drummer Jim Eno took it upon himself to take away the camera from the videographer nearest him and parade around the stage shooting closeups of the rest of the band. It’s the only time I’ve ever seen anyone do it at a taping, and I was damn impressed with the willingness to cross that boundary. Spoon closed the night out with a rousing rendition of upbeat indie pop track “Underdog” as the crowd danced and sang along. If you still haven’t been able to see one of the band’s many recent performances, they play tomorrow night at Stubb’s. However, the show’s sold out, so you’ll have to turn to Craigslist or scalpers. If you want my opinion, it’s worth it.
