First time at the Riviera. It's right around the corner from the Aragon, and they're both very convenient for me by train, which is nice. It's kind of like the Vic, only bigger. Not so much side to side, but it extends back farther, and the balcony is larger. But if you get their early enough to see the opening act (I was there about 10 minutes before they started), you can get up pretty close on the main floor.
Ponies: They were OK. Better than Liars. Somewhat entertaining, but I was tired, and I just wanted Spoon to start.
Spoon, not surprisingly, were very good. They've been at this a while now, and they now how to put on a good show. They played for about an hour and ten minutes, left briefly, and did a three song encore.
Interestingly, they played the initial set album to album. Nothing from Telephono, which is kind of a bummer, but they played two from Series of Sneaks, and then proceeded to go through each album playing three to six songs before the set ended. As such, the out of order setlist isn't as out of order as usual.
Incomplete and out of order setlist:
Utilitarian (opened with this)
The Minor Toughs
Anything You Want
Me and The Bean
Fitted Shirt
Small Stakes
Stay Don't Go
Someone Something
Vittorio E.
Johnathan Fisk
Beast and Dragon Adored
I Summon You
I Turn My Camera On
Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine
Don't Make Me a Target
The Ghost of You Lingers
Don't You Evah
Rhythm and Soul
You Got Yr Cherry Bomb
Black Like Me
The Underdog
Chicago at Night
The Way We Get By (closed with this)
I would like to have heard My Mathematical Mind and Finer Feelings. And I'd love to someday hear them do stuff off of Telephono. I have a feeling that people who have discovered Spoon recently would be surprised at what their early stuff sounds like, especially stuff like Not Turning Off, Nefarious, and Government Darling. Would like to have heard Car Radio and The Guestlist/the Execution from Sneaks as well. But there's only so much time.
Finer Feelings would have been awesome. That's my favorite song on GGGGG. Fitted Shirt, Fisk and Beast and Dragon are great, though. I'm now sad I didn't go to this, though I agree about their professional chops. When I saw them at L'palooza they were very workmanlike in the rain.
I like the concert reports. Keep up the good work, looking forward to the New Pornographers show write up.
ReplyDeleteI like them, too!
ReplyDeleteFiner Feelings would have been awesome. That's my favorite song on GGGGG. Fitted Shirt, Fisk and Beast and Dragon are great, though. I'm now sad I didn't go to this, though I agree about their professional chops. When I saw them at L'palooza they were very workmanlike in the rain.