Spoon Puts a Fork in the Late Summer Blues

In Montreal, weekends in September are treasured. The twilight mesmerizes, and though clearly still summer, the occasional breeze serves as an indication of colder, darker evenings to come. It’s an embarrassment of riches, really, and it’s only wise to take advantage of. So on a Saturday night where EDM artist Emorfik brought beats to Parc Jean Drapeau, death metal band Deicide were tearing it up at Studio TD, and American alt-country giant Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit were set to play at MTelus, this intrepid reviewer made the difficult decision to attend a concert by beloved indie stalwarts Spoon.

Playing at the venerable Corona Theatre in Little Burgundy, the Austin-based rockers stopped in for the first time in seven years, and judging by the eager fans attempting to endear themselves in favour of a ticket in, the sold-out show had a feeling of high anticipation. This sentiment was reinforced when I was met by a crowd of (mostly) 30 and 40-somethings who had clearly arrived early to pick their spots. With the venue nearing full capacity at 8 pm – surprising given the Montreal penchant of skipping openers in favour of maximizing their Saturday evening -  Texas rock contemporaries A Giant Dog didn’t have to scrap and claw in order to win over the crowd. Crunching power chords and rich harmonies provided serious glam overtones to A Giant Dog's sound, yet lead vocalist Sabrina Ellis’s formidable vocal prowess and engaging stage presence served as its adornment, effortlessly converting fans over as their busy merch table could attest. 

 By the time Spoon took the stage, it was clear that the zealous audience was fully embracing the moment. ‘It’s been too long since we’ve been here’ proclaimed frontman Britt Daniel, though banter was kept to a minimum, with the band using their time to plow through their extensive discography.

And what a discography. Though special attention was given to the band’s latest,  2022’s Lucifer on the Sofa, Spoon was happy to snake through its (over) two-decade-old catalogue, drawing up old favourites and surprising rarities. Opening with ‘Wild’ off that record, Spoon didn’t let up and was all smiles throughout, bringing some much-needed reassurance. In a week where toxic rock behaviour has drawn disillusion from fans, watching a veteran band laugh and revel in one another felt cathartic.

With spirited lighting effects that came dangerously close to overtaking the proceedings, Spoon feverishly interspersed their set with fan favourites like ‘You Got Your Cherry Bomb’ from 2007’s ‘Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga’ and ‘I Turn My Camera On’ from their hallowed 2005 album Gimme Fiction. Rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Alex Fischel was kept especially busy, providing booming support on the axe while replacing memorable horn melodies on songs like ‘Under Dog’ with a Hammond-style keyboard. Special mention should be made to drummer Jim Eno, who helped bind varied time signatures while allowing space for his bandmates to keep things loose.  

The band capped off their high-energy performance with the tight and snarling ‘Got Nuffin’, though a surprise was in store for the crowd, nowhere near ready to call it a night. None other than Austin rock legend Alejandro Escavado joined the band on stage for a cover of the Velvet Underground’s ‘Foggy Notion’. The musician was set to open for the unfortunately cancelled Jason Isbell gig happening concurrently, and his appearance added to an already memorable evening.  The freshly nostalgic rock vibe concluded with the closing anthem ‘Rent I Pay’, leaving exiting fans precisely where bands want them: fervent, especially fulfilled, and with their loyalty re-ignited. One only hopes it doesn’t take another seven years for their reappearance.    

Donald is the host of Eastern Promises, a show about the inspiring and influential music of Atlantic Canada, Sundays 8-9 PM