by Michael.
So as most of you do not know, I love Spoon. I am not positive why none of their songs didn’t make it onto my Desert Island Tracks, but I was probably freaked out on stupid pills. As such, I was rather excited when I heard they had a new album coming out (see future post/review of their album Transference). I was much less sad to see that their next show in NYC would be in Radio City Music Hall, which is a venue I really can’t afford. Imagine my excitement when I saw that Britt Daniel, the voice and guitar behind Spoon was going to be doing a free solo concert in Brooklyn.
I started the day at 6:30am after less than 3 hours of sleep, and then went on to spend the next 9 hours in the grossness that is Jersey City attending meetings. Even though I was exhausted, I still decided it was worth it to hope on the PATH train back into New York, and the to talk the L into Williamsburg to wait an hour in the cold for a chance to see such an amazing concert.
Once I got to the “venue,” Sound Fix Records (which apparently used to be Britt Daniel’s apartment building), possibly my favorite record store in New York, the line wrapped around the corner, and went up a ramp to the entrance of another building and ended still 3 feet off the ground and with no place to go. Rather than attempt to fix the system, I just got into line to see what hilarity may ensue. After watching group after group of confused people go past the ramp, and come back, and the line doubling back on itself back down the ramp, somebody came out to yell at everybody to get off the ramp and line up next to it. Eventually, the doors opened, and I started praying that I would get in. Luckily, I ended up getting in, and in my infinite stupidity decided to stand in a spot directly behind a post. By the time I realized my mistake, it was impossible to move, and so I was trapped. I assumed Britt had taken the stage once everyone started clapping, and was positive once he started playing.
Never before have 4 songs been so amazing, and so worth it. He opened with two songs off Spoon’s new, much darker, album Transference, “Mystery Zone” and the single, “Written in Reverse.” The crowd was extremely into it, despite the odd accommodations. Things definitely stepped it up a little higher when he dipped into the older songs though, treating the crowd to “The Beast and Dragon, Adored” (which holds a special place in my heart as the first Spoon song I ever heard) and “I Summon You” from Gimme Fiction. Even stripped down, the songs keep all the soul and amazingness as the originals, which is most likely why he chose them (I highly doubt he could pull off the same thing with “Stay, Don’t Go” or “The Underdog”)
After the show, it was impossible to get anywhere near Britt, or really to move anywhere except out, so I had to forego my plan of perusing the store, and instead just escape back into the cold world, without ever actually seeing Britt Daniel himself. I then proceeded to sleep for a good 12 hours. WORTH IT
P.P. (post-props) Props to Music Taster’s Choice who posted those videos. Also major props to all the people who, even though they couldn’t get into the store, stood outside in the cold just to get a chance to listen
So says Liz, whom biology actually requires to say this about me. She passed on the Beautiful Blogger Award, for which I am eternally grateful. Also, 