Nobody Gets Me But You

There are few things you can count on in this crazy world of ours, but one of them is that Spoon won't let you down. They're about as consistent a band as you're going to find.

I met Senor Breitling at Cornwall's in Kenmore Square last night to enjoy a few pre-show beverages before heading over to the House of Blues. Doors were at 6 and the show was supposed to start at 7. We figured we'd skip the opening act and catch Deerhunter and Spoon starting at 8. So of course, we get to HOB and Deerhunter was finishing up their set.

Spoon hit the stage at 8:35. The show was sold out, and while there were nowhere near as many oldsters as last week's Feelies show at the Middle East, I spotted many geezers jammed in with the young hipster crowd. I'm guessing it's because the band isn't overtly offensive in any way and they kind of appeal to the NPR crowd. I had to laugh when the lady next to me, who was in her 50s, was plugging her ears whenever the band used a little feedback.

Lanky frontman Britt Daniel was in fine form as he led the four-piece through an 80-minute set that was heavy on their latest album Transference and the two previous (Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga and Gimme Fiction). The crowd reaction was pretty polite, but Spoon doesn't play a style of rock designed to fire up the mosh pit. They're more a band that locks into a cool groove and provokes a steady head bob. Highlights included "I Turn My Camera On" (a favorite of the Kumar girls), "Got Nuffin," "Written in Reverse," "The Underdog" (replacing the horns from the studio version with piano), and "You Got Yr Cherry Bomb."

After last Friday's marathon Feelies gig, I was prepared for at least another half-hour of music, but at 9:55 Daniel announced that the next song was their last. He noted that there was a 10 p.m. curfew so the club could hold a dance night, just like the old Avalon used to do. Pretty weak. Oh well, it gave me and my fellow geezers a chance to get home and get some much-needed sleep.

The Spoon video my girls love:


Written in Reverse: