The Austin indie rock powerhouse was at Bold Point Park and I was there with my kid. Here’s our Spoon in Providence review.
First, a bit of background. I’ve been a fan of Spoon since the get-go. I remember cuffing their Matador Records debut, Telephono, from the WFNX music library when I was an intern there in the late ’90s (sorry, Laurie Gail). In 1998, when the band was briefly on the Elektra Records roster, I caught them at Axis for a pre-X Night show and again at T.T. the Bear’s place in Cambridge supporting their exceptional A Series Of Sneaks album. And I’ve seen them a few times in the two-decades-plus that have passed since then. I feel about Spoon the way that Bob feels about Michael Bolton in Office Space: I celebrate their entire catalog.
That being said, I was stoked when Spoon dropped a new album, Lucifer On The Sofa, earlier this year. And super stoked when they announced a co-headlining tour with Interpol that would bring them to Bold Point Park in Providence. Two bands I love at an outdoor venue I’ve been meaning to check out. And? My 13-year-old is super into the new album and super into Spoon. They’ve quickly become my concert buddy since I took them to see Green Day at Fenway Park last summer. So off to Providence we went on a Sunday night.
Spoon in Providence Review
I’ll start with this: Bold Point Park is a fantastic venue. Picture an outdoor, pavilion-style music experience, but scaled down and more intimate. I loved it and I plan on returning. And Spoon was tailor-made for the venue. Frontman Britt Daniel was in his usual form: singing, soloing, and strutting around the stage. Touring keyboard player and guitarist Alex Fischel matched him move for move, upping the energy and engaging the crowd. The setlist pulled from the last twenty years of Spoon’s catalog, so fans new and old found reason to be satisfied.
My 13-yr-old (new fan) was super excited to hear all the new songs they’ve fallen in love with from the latest album. And I (old fan) was vibing to the deep cuts I’ve loved for decades. My only knock was that Spoon pretty much ignores their first few releases when they’re playing live. Understandable: they were a three-piece in the early years, for the most part, and they’re a five-piece touring juggernaut now. Oh, and my other knock is on Interpol for making us wait too long. We ended up leaving before their set, but I’ve seen them a few times over the years, and they’re tight as hell live, so I’m sure the set was solid.
Pics below.