LIVE REVIEW: Spoon at The Sylvee
BY: CLAIRE BORGELT
ALL PHOTOS BY CLAIRE BORGELT
Spoon // Claire Borgelt
As Austin-based rock band Spoon took the stage at The Sylvee on July 13, 2022, it was overwhelmingly clear they were seasoned musicians. Each member assumed their position with the kind of confidence that only twenty nine years of performance can supply, eager to dive into a set that was expertly crafted – made more consistent and smooth by decades of experience than rehearsal.
A blur of blue and pink lights came to life as they struck up a crisp rendition of “Held,” placing the emphasis immediately on their newest album, Lucifer on the Sofa. I turned my head to look back at the crowd, briefly mesmerized by the way the bassline propelled their movement, before the song’s signature instrumental section cut in and pulled my attention back to the stage. It was brilliant as an opener, lending itself perfectly to frontman Britt Daniel’s slick vocal delivery.
Britt Daniel begins the show with “Held”
They continued with “The Devil and Mister Jones,” another track off of Lucifer. Jim Eno’s percussion took center stage and razor-sharp guitar riffs lent Daniel plenty of time to engage with both his bandmates and the audience – he flashed a smile to the front row, nodding approvingly as keyboardist Alex Fischel supplied the dimension needed to elevate a live performance of one of the album’s strongest songs.
Alex Fischel (top left), Ben Trokan (top right) and Jim Eno (bottom)
The band wasted no time with banter, preferring to let seamless transitions between songs do the talking for them. They paused to soak in a healthy dose of applause from the enchanted crowd, recalling their last stop in Madison fondly before launching into “Don’t You Evah” off of Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (2007) and “Do You” off They Want My Soul (2014). While the set was engineered to let Spoon’s latest gems from Lucifer shine, it also served as a chance to perform their arsenal of hits from the last three decades. The next songs were a walk through the band’s history--strobe effects punctuated the electronic pulses of “Inside Out” and a masterful instrumental interlude kept the crowd bouncing until Daniel returned from backstage with his guitar for “I Turn My Camera On,” a nod to Gimme Fiction (2005).
Britt Daniel (left), Gerardo Lario (center) and Ben Trokan (right)
The performing prowess Spoon has spent years developing was apparent last night -- the flawless transitions between songs, the crisp lighting and their unphased stage presence were dazzling. It was small moments of unplanned brilliance, however, that truly made the show. When bassist Ben Trokan caught his pick in midair, Daniel finished a guitar solo with a spinning flourish and the classic-rock stylings of “Small Stakes” were enhanced by Gerardo Larios’s tambourine accents, that’s what the crowd leaned into most.
Cheers erupted for “My Babe” and, of course, for “Underdog,” but I found myself most captivated by “Don’t Make Me a Target.” Among bouncy acoustic melodies, this number stood out as sensual and dark--its vocals dripped with suspicion and its bassline shook the floor of the venue.
Britt Daniel performs “Don’t Make Me a Target”
“Got Nuffin” closed out the set, with demands for an encore beginning almost as soon as the band was out of view. Cries for one more song reached a frenzy before all five members returned for a shining cover of “Isolation” by John Lennon and a sunlit rendition of “Black Like Me” off of Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga in honor of the album’s fifteenth anniversary.
For the final number, Spoon invited Bodega, their Brooklyn based opening act, back to the stage. Bodega’s percussion-fueled setlist and vivacious, impeccably dressed ensemble had prepared the audience well for the night – it was only fitting that they returned to finish it out properly. With ten musicians onstage for “Rent I Pay,” both bands’ drummers tackled percussion amid a flurry of basslines and guitar harmonies. Daniel was left to nail his vocal delivery and Nikki Belfiglio was left to amp up the crowd by swinging a giant computer mouse in time to the music.