Everything Hits At Once With Spoon At Darien Lake

“…Anyone who knows me will tell you just how much of a soft spot I have for the terrific indie outfit of Spoon. With each album they churn out, it never seems like the dudes from Austin, TX can do wrong. Since the early ’90s, Spoon has constantly morphed and changed up their sound while still maintaining the essence of being a band’s band. This “indie” band has churned out a number of hit singles and albums, including their 2014 masterpiece They Want My Soul, a personal favorite of mine. Led by the tall and ever-so cool Britt Daniel, Austin’s finest hit the stage after Brooklyn’s Sunflower Bean got the crowd warmed up.

There was an impressive showing early on for Spoon. Having seen them twice before, the first being in 2014 and the other back in 2017, I already had an idea as to which delectable tune they’d open with. As I predicted, they started off with the familiar and perfect introduction song to any set, “Rent I Pay”. With Jim Eno starting things off with his smooth control of a pocket (snare), Britt came in shortly after with that familiar guitar line that can easily pump anyone up. One of Spoon’s most popular and more recognizable tracks off of They Want My Soul, “Rent I Pay” is only the topping on what can only be described as a rich and indulgent discography.

From there, Britt and the boys gave Buffalo a first take of a live rendition of their latest single, “No Bullet Spent”. Released back in late July, this new track is on Spoon’s best-of collection Everything Hits At Once: The Best Of Spoon, but I can hope that there’s more new music where “No Bullet Spent” came from.

Spoon’s setlist practically mirrored Everything Hits at Once: Best of Spoon LP, but I was pleasantly surprised to hear some deep cuts from past works sprinkled in there as well. “My Mathematical Mind” was an especially good choice on Spoon’s part considering just how much of an underrated song it is. Although I wished they could have played a few cuts from Transference, there’s really no competing with hearing “Do You”, “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb”, and “The Underdog” on a bigger and more reverberating stage.

Perhaps the most surprising part of Spoon’s set was their ending with “Johnathon Fisk”. A deep cut from 2002’s Kill the Moonlight that put Spoon on the indie radar outside of Austin, no song better encapsulates Spoon’s overall aesthetic: fast guitar lines, swinging drums, with an almost garage rock feel. Definitely the best direct support act I’ve seen open for a headliner. Even though I am a little bias, Spoon just continues to make headway with their music with no signs of slowing down proving that age is clearly just a number…”