When I first came to listen to Austin, Texas’ Spoon in 2007, their record Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga had just come out and Heather Phares’ review on AllMusic raved about the record’s meticulous arrangements and studio magic. As a result, the album quickly became one of my go-to headphone records – and yet, because of their reputation as recording wizards, I’ve always worried a little about how Spoon’s expertly-crafted sound might translate to the stage. Would they sound too fussy or stale, even lifeless? As it turns out, based on their live-wire performance at the Corona Theatre, I really had nothing to worry about.
Brooklyn trio The Antlers opened the show, making their second appearance in Montreal in as many months after having opened for Death Cab For Cutie in May. In my review of that show I commented on how their floaty dream-pop seemed better-suited to bedrooms than to large-scale venues like Metropolis – and, this time around, in the smaller and more intimate Corona, I think I was right. While playing through a similar setlist to May’s gig, guitarist/vocalist Peter Silberman seemed far more at ease this time around, swaying in time to a showcase for the band’s atmospheric soundscapes and his own gossamer vocals. And yet, although the Antlers add weight to their songs by raising the stakes with heavy crashing climaxes anchored by Michael Lerner’s drums, I can’t help but feel like the warm and low-key energy of songs like set-closer Putting The Dog To Sleep set dangerously low expectations for Spoon’s own stage presence.
I was immediately proven wrong, however. Spoon took the stage to a long intro of rising tones, letting them build up to a critical volume so loud that you can feel it in your chest, before opening with the driving Rainy Taxi, from last summer’s excellent They Want My Soul. Despite the high volume and the multiple sounds of the Austin 5-piece, frontman Britt Daniel’s gritty vocals remained crystal-clear in the mix, putting his Elvis Costello-esque snarl front-and-centre for the urgent plea of George W. Bush challenge Don’t Make Me a Target, complimented by an explosion of strobes and red back-lights for the song’s sinister climax.
Any worry I had about Spoon’s in-concert energy had been completely unfounded. Atop the mighty drum-kit of band co-founder Jim Eno, the group brought raw adrenaline and electricity to every song in the set, pulling tracks from as early as 2001’s Kill The Moonlight – represented here by the chugging keys of Small Stakes and The Way We Get By – and pumping them with a rush of fresh blood that made it impossible to stand still. Recent cuts continue to impress, with They Want My Soul highlights Do You and Inside Out standing toe-to-toe with dancey come-hither classic I Turn My Camera On. Even more, now a year removed from the album promo cycle, Britt Daniel’s sharing of slinky brand-new Satellite points already to exciting new things on the horizon.
Given my earlier anxiety about their performance, I was more than happy to actually feel over-stimulated by the time Spoon started their four-song encore. After a quick break from the high velocity and blinding light show of the main set, the group jumped back full-throttle before finishing with a spooky cover of The Cramps’ 1980 punk gem TV Set and their own Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga showstopper, The Underdog. Although my history with Spoon and the Antlers’ cozy performance had me steel myself for a low-key evening, I ended up leaving Corona Theatre with sweat on my face and a ringing in my ears, and all was good.
Spoon Setlist:
Rainy Taxi
Don’t Make Me a Target
Small Stakes
My Mathematical Mind
The Ghost of You Lingers
I Summon You
Do You
Satellite
Rent I Pay
The Beast and Dragon, Adored
They Want My Soul
Don’t You Evah
Inside Out
I Turn My Camera On
The Fitted Shirt
Got Nuffin
Black Like Me
The Way We Get By
Knock Knock Knock
TV Set [The Cramps]
The Underdog
Review – Dan Corber
Photos – Eva Blue
