Despite the tremendous hype behind the music, Spoon nearly failed to deliver. Micachu and The Shapes was the first opener, taking the swarm on a digital journey. Deerhunter, followed suite and powered out and phenomenal set, leaving everyone hungry for more. When Britt Daniel and his crew capped off the night, it was lack luster and hard to swallow. Overall it felt like a complete let down.
Micachu and The Shapes took before the near empty theater and began its artistic foray. The list of genres this band dabbles in is incredible. To summarize they are a dirty anti-pop, space trek psychedelia band wrapped in an electroclash, art movement with a sprinkle of grunge. Every number is a exploration of sound. A digital drum rhythmically beats with its instrumental brethren,; accompanying synths add a playful pop. Mica Levi, the lead singer and namesake of the band, unleashes rough vocals. Her gritty rasp emotes her heart into your soul. Although the sound was not for the musically simple, it was a little far fetched for the complex also. This gang is still searching for its hook, but it was interesting none the less.
Deerhunter took to the stage in a playful banter. From the moment the first note rang, the band swallowed you with its presence. Bradford Cox, is an all consuming front man, who plays to his fans. Within the first few songs, he jumped off the stage and started crooning to the audience. Within an instant the mass of music connoisseurs enveloped his being. The seated venue became a general admission within seconds. Each member of the band played with heart and magic. They truly are an amazing foursome to witness perform.
By mid set, the band had Rob Pope of Spoon come to the stage and accompany via guitar. The onlookers were enthralled and cheered manically. Several more times through out the performance The wizard behind the vocals lept from the stage and joined his congregation on the floor. To complete the set Britt and Eric of Spoon joined the stage and contributed to the final two pieces. The set was intense and musically mischievous. Deerhunter is a hard act to follow.
Spoon took to the stage after a very swift break. Britt and bunch filtered to their positions and began to play. It was robotic and lacked any emotional involvement at first. The singer seemed distant and uncaring, the band looked vacant and dead. After the initial excitement of the fans, they lay craving a spark from the Austin based rockers. It seemed like it just wouldn’t happen, song after song was phoned in. Finally they performed a cover of The Damned’s Love Song, and it felt real. The legion before them erupted into movement; like a lava flow of rhythm. The indie rocking Texans then owned the rest of the evening.
Going forward from that point it was like a different show. The musicians all played with certain connection. Bass and drums fed each other in that delicious harmony. The vocals were devilishly haunting. This is the band people crave, this is the breakout style everyone paid to see.
It was obvious the first half of the Spoon set had technical issues, the band was partially to blame. From guitars out of tune, ear pieces losing functionality it was a mess. In the end they pulled it together and showed what they ware made of. Deerhunter was a perfect pairing, they had the venue swaying and ready to go.
To encompass the evening I would say it was proof of the spirit in true musicians. Most bands would give up on a crowd after 3 or 4 failed songs; Spoon fought through the set and pulled it out in the end. They had heart and grit and clawed their way back up. Spoon proved themselves in the end. Deerhunter nearly swept the stage with an outstanding piece. Micachu and The Shapes are not done ripening yet. Musical bliss was had by all.
Happy Concerting
Jamie Taylor
- Email -
