Spoon at Central Park Summerstage (September 10, 2014)

Last night Spoon commanded a crowd at Central Park Summerstage for their first offical headlining NYC show while on tour for new album They Want My Soul. Sure they played Governors Ball, and a secret NPR show at Le Poisson Rogue (as well as McKittrick) over the summer, but this was the first headlining show of their own for the general public. They made it count, bringing along a terrific pair of headliners in !!! and Operators.

After last night’s opening set, I have now seen Dan Boeckner’s Operators three times since their first show at Baby’s All Right during Northside (the other came with Future Islands at House Of Vans). They continue to leave me impressed each time. Now they’ve added a 4th member to their lineup, with former Hot Hot Heat member Dustin Hawthorne on bass. He gave the group a fuller, more well rounded sound to compliment the electronic work of Devojka, as well as the steady percussion of drummer Sam Brown.

Over the years I’ve heard lots of positive things about the live show of Californian group !!! (pronounced Chk Chk Chk). I’ve seen many images of frontman and vocalist Nic Offer getting wild during their shows, and he lived up to his reputation, and then some last night. Immediately during the first song Offer came out towards the crowd singing and dancing as if no one was watching. He even hammed it up for us photographers in the pit, giving us plenty of good shots. The band themselves played a energetic set of disco-punk dance tunes that were energetic and a lot of fun. For sure, one of the more fun I’ve had shooting a band this year. Nic Offer, you’re the man.

Spoon have been locked in on this tour, with possibly their tightest live lineup to date with the addition of Britt Daniel’s fellow Divine Fits member Alex Fischel (in fact, all 4 Divine Fits members played last night). He’s frantic live energy has rubbed off on the rest of the band, causing them to be as active and dramatic on stage as I’ve ever seen them.

They Want My Soul tracks “Knock Knock Knock” and “Rent I Pay” opened the show, marking the night’s dedication to the fantastic new album, one that I simply can’t stop playing. “Do You” has to be one of the best songs off the album, if second to my personal favorite, “Let Me Be Mine,” which they have never played live according to the internet.

With such a rich and solid back catalog, they made room for all the crowd favorites such as “I Turn My Camera On,” “Rhthm & Soul” and “I Summon You.” I personally would have loved to hear “Everything Hits At Once” or “The Way We Get By,” I couldn’t argue with an encore built around “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb,” “Outlier” and of course, “The Underdog.”

There may have been too many people talking over the show, with somewhat lower than normal sound, but the band sounded as good as I could have hoped, proving yet again that they’re one of the best bands out of American working these days. Even after seeing them just a few days ago at Boston Calling, they had me just as giddy as ever.

Below find Spoon’s setlist, as well as photos of all three acts.

Setlist:

1. Knock Knock Knock
2. Rent I Pay
3. Small Stakes
4. Inside Out
5. Don’t You Evah
6. Who Makes Your Money
7. Rhthm & Soul
8. The Ghost of You Lingers
9. My Mathematical Mind
10. Anything You Want
11. Don’t Make Me a Target
12. Do You
13. I Just Don’t Understand
14. I Summon You
15. I Turn My Camera On
16. New York Kiss
17. Got Nuffin
18. Black Like Me