Spoon Played Music Hall Of Williamsburg: Pictures, Review, Setlist

Sure, we know what you're thinking. We here at HAD are a bunch of crazies that just can't get enough of Spoon. Well, you're half right: we can't get enough of Spoon, but we're sure as hell not crazy, and last night proved it. After catching Spoon in New Jersey on Sunday, and at Cake Shop yesterday afternoon, we made our way to the Music Hall Of Williamsburg and saw the best show we've seen from the band in a very long time.

Opener Sean Bones delivered a solid set of reggae-tinged rock that did a great job at warming up the crowd. Bones' music manages to ape reggae without becoming cheesy or derivative, and the result is something that could easily garner comparison to certain late-era Clash tunes. A lot of this could be attributed to Bones' crunchy, solid guitar playing that is largely the backbone of his sound. We dig, you hear?

Spoon took to the stage soon thereafter, and immediately delved into a killer version of "Car Radio". We're guessing this choice may have taken inspiration from the Cake Shop request earlier in the day, and we loved every second of it. On top of that, it was just the ticket to get the crowd stoked and on board for a night of awesome rock and roll.

From there, the band dove into a set that leaned heavily on their three most recent records, Transference, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, and Gimme Fiction. There were only a handful of exceptions, including "Someone Something", "Everything Hits At Once", and "Stay Don't Go". Still, we're definitely not complaining: the band has become so tight over the last year, that their delivery of the new material puts it in a different category from the recorded versions. Almost all of the songs have a new edge that makes them a joy to see live.

The set also contained two notable covers: Wolf Parade's "The Modern World", and Jay Reatard's "No Time". As usual, Spoon did a bang-up job in the covers department, and brought a lot of new life to these songs. "The Modern World" was slightly more rocked out than the original, and had a darker chunkier feel. "No Time" benefitted considerably from Daniel's vocals, and the performance really emphasized just what a killer chord/melody genius Jay Reatard was.

It's hard to convey, but the electricity in the room was incredible. The crowd was joyous and excited, the band was on point and having a great time, and the set (including two encores) was about as good as they come. In short, it was a fantastic evening of rock and roll from a band that is truly schooled in delivering some of the best guitar goodness on stage today.

We had heard rumors (we didn't attend) that the band's shows at Madison Square Garden were a little drier than some would have liked, and we were wondering if maybe the guys were a little tired from the road. If last night is any indication, those rumors were started by some cracked out fool. Rest assured: Spoon is kicking ass, taking names, and loving it all at the same time.

Setlist

Car Radio
Nobody Gets Me But You
The Mystery Zone
You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb
Trouble Comes Running
The Ghost of You Lingers
Written In Reverse
Someone Something
Modern World (Wolf Parade cover)
The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine
Don't You Evah
Finer Feelings
Everything Hits at Once
Don't Make Me A Target
I Summon You
No Time (Jay Reatard cover)
Got Nuffin
Black Like Me
--
Who Makes Your Money
Stay Don't Go
My Mathematical Mind
--
I Turn My Camera On
The Underdog

Many more photos in the HAD Archive