Photos and words by Rosi Lamela
Spoon is one of the bands I have been listening to for years now but have never seen live. Random things throughout my life got in the way of their show dates and I just kept missing out. When I saw the announcement earlier this year that they were going to play White Eagle Hall in Jersey City, I was determined. Then the show sold out. Was this just one of those bands I’ll never get to hear live?
Then came the end of last week when I found out I would be there. I would have the opportunity to shout and sing all the songs that made their debut on my never ending mixtapes. Even if you don’t consider yourself a fan, there is a song or two you will find yourself jiving to.
Sunday night in Jersey City, I was introduced to opener Nicole Atkins. I have heard her name before but never her music. It’s always nice to be introduced to another native Jersey musician. I loved the aesthetic of the fan blowing through her hair as she performed. There was a dance contest and the prize was a personalized hand drawn portrait of Nicole and Ted Danson dancing. The crowd laughed and slow danced to compete. I was pretty impressed by her Led Zeppelin cover “What is and What Should Never Be.” Not a song I think anyone can pull off. She has the pipes though, and pulled it off nicely.
Then the main attraction got on stage and they went right into their best songs. “Small Stakes” and “Inside Out” are two of my favs and when you hear your favorite tunes in the beginning of a set it definitely makes the night. Lead singer Britt Daniel jammed out their best songs while showing a lot of gratitude to his loyal fans in the front row. They played “The Way We Get By” from Kill the Moonlight and “I Turn My Camera On” from Gimme Fiction. It was one of the best rock shows I have seen and maybe worth the years of waiting.
So if Spoon has never made it to one of your mixtapes you need to reconsider your choices. While you reconsider your choices, choose to support your local music venues as they come back to make sure we can spend time together and listen to music safely.
