Spoon Delivers at Brooklyn Steel on Saturday Night
October 23, 2021
Spoon Deliver at Brooklyn Steel on Saturday Night
Spoon – Brooklyn Steel – October 23, 2021
It’s Saturday night in Brooklyn and it’s time to see some hits. That was the big mood—and certainly mine—as Spoon took the stage at Brooklyn Steel. To everyone’s delight, the Austin, Texas, rock band delivered … and delivered and delivered. In a nearly nonstop, high-energy, catalog-spanning set, Spoon made clear why they’ve sat atop the indie-rock throne for decades. Frontman Britt Daniel, who remains startlingly ageless, formed the group with drummer Jim Eno in the early ’90s, and the pair, with a somewhat changeable lineup, have steadily made their way to stardom with nine records, including their 1998 grunge-adjacent debut, A Series of Sneaks, the pop-inflected Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (2007) and the self-assured return-to-form They Want My Soul (2014).
Spoon ducked in and out of genres with ease over the course of their set. But Daniel’s unmistakable vocals have always provided the band’s unique signature. His voice fell somewhere between fluttering falsetto on “I Turn My Camera On” and double-fried howl on “Don’t Make Me a Target,” which bobbed and weaved to an epic payoff. On “My Mathematical Mind,” his voice went the journey, as did the band, which ended the song with barn-burning, distortion-heavy keys and guitar. Alex Fischel and Gerardo Larios, who play both instruments, and bassist Ben Trokan sounded expertly and confident on newer hits like “Inside Out” and on deeper cuts like “Small Stakes” and “Jonathan Fisk.”
Amid the much-loved hits, Spoon blessed the faithful with three treats: two yet-to-be released songs, “My Babe” and “The Hardest Cut”—perhaps off their upcoming album, which has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic—and a lovely, bluesy cover of John Lennon’s “Isolation.” Before launching into their final encore song, “Rent I Pay,” Daniel declared, “This one’s for the heads.” Fair to say it’s all for the heads, Britt. —Rachel Brody | @RachelCBrody
Photos courtesy of Adela Loconte | adelaloconte.com
