Interpol & Spoon Concert Review: A Sublime Juxtaposition of Musical Styles

Interpol and Spoon. Together in concert? Yes, the dark and sullen New York post punkers and the energetic, colorful rockers from Austin. It’s called the Lights, Camera, Factions tour and the co-headliners are finishing up their North American leg later this month in the Pacific Northwest. I was lucky to score a good seat for the show at the Vina Robles Amphitheater in Paso Robles, CA on September 14th. Who needs complementary bands in concert when you’ve got these two? They celebrated their contrasting styles from the moment their sets began and delivered two distinct concerts in one, each about 1:15 in time.

I recently highlighted Spoon, specifically their marvelous new album, Lucifer on the Sofa, (Lucifer on the Sofa: Spoon Continues to Rock … Maybe Better than Ever), so let’s look into Interpol briefly before going to the concert. Interpol formed in 1997 in New York with Paul Banks (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Daniel Kessler (lead guitar, backing vocals), and drummer Sam Fogarino joining a little later in time for the band’s superb debut album, Turn on the Bright Lights. It’s tough to top this album with its moving echoes, dynamic atmosphere, and promise that “I will surprise you sometime, I’ll come around, When you’re down” in the opening track “Untitled” (highlighted previously for an iconic moment in television (10 Songs that Made Memorable Moments on TV) and “PDA,” still the group’s anthem with its darkly rousing chorus of “Sleep tight, grim rite, We have 200 hundred couches where you can sleep tonight.” The follow up in 2004, Antics, is an outstanding sophomore effort with tight songs like intense rockers “Evil” and “Slow Hands” countered by despondent ballads. 2007’s Our Love to Admire contains a blazing standout, “Heinrich Maneuver” with its opening roar, “How are things on the west coast?” The next three LPs were somewhat disappointing with the band stuck in its melancholy midtempo (it’s revealing that they played only one song from the three in total, Marauder’s “The Rover.”) Which brings us to the 2022 The Other Side of Make-Believe tour.

Vina Robles Amphitheater

The Vina Robles Amphitheater in Paso Robles has been a great addition to the region’s concert venues. From its first concert in 2013 (I was there for prog rockers Yes) it has hosted a steady, diverse line-up of music. So far this year, Elvis Costello, ZZ Top, Lord Huron, The Offspring, and Phoebe Bridgers just to name a few with Bonnie Raitt, Eddie Vedder & the Earthlings, Willie Nelson, Ringo’s All-Star Band, and more still ahead. Intimate, yet large enough to attract quality acts (seating capacity 3,300), it’s nestled within the oak-dotted wine country of Central California (sharing the property with its namesake vineyards and winery which you can enjoy at the show).

Spoon

As I discussed in the previous post, I was late to the Spoon party, so this was my first time seeing them live. They opened appropriately with the first song of Lucifer on the Sofa, the cover “Held.” They played four more off the latest album, the title song, “Feels Alright,” “My Babe,” and my favorite, “Wild” with its exquisite piano. The more familiar playful songs “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb” and “The Underdog” got the crowd in motion. “Got Nuffin” and “The Hardest Cut” were proof that the band can still rock. Founding member, Britt Daniel, was an engaging front man playing guitar, singing lead vocals, and bantering with the audience. Alex Fischel was a whirling dervish on guitar and keyboards, often pounding the keys with the guitar strapped to his back. As a relative newcomer to Spoon, I wasn’t familiar with the final number (a rare occurrence for me) but discovered that “The Way We Get By” from Kill the Moonlight is probably their most well-known song. Its rollicking piano and handclaps were the perfect finale, and I can see why it’s been on at least eight TV or movie soundtracks.

Interpol

The question of the night among the fans was, “So, who are you here for?” Some said “both” like me (although Spoon clinched it for me to attend, since I had seen Interpol once before at UC Santa Barbara in 2011), but others were definitely in one camp or the other. Once the lights went out for Interpol, it was immediately clear that more people were there to see them. You know that crowd-swelling feeling of anticipation…screams erupted with the first note of Kessler’s ringing guitar and Banks’ emotive voice as they, too, opened with the first song of the new release, “Toni.” By the second song, “Evil,” dudes in front and back of me were singing out word for word. Who knew Interpol was a sing-along band? They also played “Fables,” “Mr. Credit,” and “Passenger” off of The Other Side of Make-Believe. “Narc” and “Rest My Chemistry” were midtempo mood shifters, where “Lights” and “Pioneer to the Falls” slowed it way down to a foggy haze while the band emerged from their back-lit spotlights and strobes. Missing from the set were “Untitled” which is the ideal opening number and the strangely omitted “Heinrich Maneuver” with its west coast shout out. But they ended with the two kinetic songs sure to send the crowd home satisfied, “Slow Hands” and the expected and gratifying finale, “PDA.”

D² Rating ◼◼◼◼☐