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Photos and words by Rosi Lamela
Last Thursday, 8/25 I went to The Stone Pony to catch a show I’ve been waiting for all summer. With another season at the Summer Stage coming to an end, Matador Records labelmates Spoon and Interpol brought their co-headlining ‘Lights, Camera, Factions’ tour to Asbury Park on a beautiful night by the ocean and it was just what I needed as I head into my end-of-summer blues.
After openers Water From Your Eyes, Spoon was up next. It’s no exaggeration when I say Spoon is one of my favorite bands to see live. They played their greatest hits, but if you’re a fan like me they have so many hits it’s hard to not hear something you love. They went as far back as their 2001 album Girls Can Tell with “Fitted Shirt” and continued with songs across their discography. With so many photographers in the pit, I had to hustle to get my shots in what is my opinion the best Summer Stage show of the year. They played “The Way We Get By” and “The Underdog” which are classics. They played “Do You”, “Inside Out”, and “Rent I Pay” from my favorite album They Want My Soul. They also played a few songs from another great album Gimme Fiction. Those included “I Turn My Camera On”, “My Mathematical Mind”, and “I Summon You”. The crowd was pumped but due to the heat some folks had to get rescued by the amazing Security and EMTs that got through the crowd like ninjas. Keep hydrated out there!
Then came Interpol. I’ve never seen them live and, despite them putting out music since the aughts, I’m sort of new to their music. They are a band whose music has seeped into my Spotify playlists through the years and I always liked what I heard. They opened the show with my favorite song of theirs, “Untitled” from their debut/breakout LP Turn on the Bright Lights. With the sun down, they had a dark and dramatic entrance that wasn’t super easy to photograph but it set the mood well. Paul Bank’s droney vocals and band’s mellow sound made me want to sit by the waves. They played quite a few songs from their new album that was released this year, The Other Side of Make-Believe which included “Fables”, “Into the Night”, “Something Changed”, and “Gran Hotel”. They of course played their most popular song “Rest My Chemistry” which hits even better live. They finished their set with “The Rover” and “Slow Hands” which got everyone going. This Matador Records lineup made for a great rock show and I’m so glad I was there.
Their co-headlining ‘Lights, Camera, Factions’ tour will be continuing through mid-September – see the remaining tour dates here. Check out the music video for “Gran Hotel” (from The Other Side of Make-Believe) below and keep scrolling to see more photos from the show.
