Few bands define the indie rock scene of the early aughts like Spoon and Interpol. Though they experienced different levels of success, with Interpol venturing more into the mainstream, each band gained fans for making potently cool guitar-driven rock with untouchably hip lyricism and vocals. Unlike some of their peers, both bands have also never rested on their laurels and have continued to release music to this day. Considering these factors as well as the millennial obsession with nostalgia, it made sense when Spoon and Interpol decided to spend the summer on a co-headlining tour. On Sunday, September 18th, that tour came to a close when the bands performed the second of two shows at Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland, Oregon.
Though they had the headlining slot the night before, Sunday found Spoon going on first and delivering a tight set spanning exactly an hour and fifteen minutes. Being the last show of the tour, the Austin band wasted zero time as they pushed through a career-spanning performance. Each song was packed with energy, with “Got Nuffin” letting Gerardo Larios break away with a frenzied guitar solo before the song segued seamlessly into the punchy “Don’t You Evah.”
During his brief comments to the crowd, the perpetually hip and ageless Britt Daniel reminisced about his time living in Portland, saying, “I wrote this while living at 42nd and Stark” before launching into the stomping anthem “Don’t Make Me a Target.” Though at times it felt like the band was breezing through songs almost too quickly, it was hard to argue with the precision each band member brought. Larios would lay down a spooky keyboard intro on “The Underdog,” with Alex Fischel’s keyboards filling in nicely for the song’s signature horns, while “My Babe” was a spunky and heartfelt work of pop rock. “My Mathematical Mind” showcased some more wonderfully weird keyboard hammering while capturing the full potency of the band as a rock unit, while new song “Wild” was a driving work of rock and roll triumph. Other standout moments included the blissful jam during “Inside Out” that lead into a blistering guitar intro to “I Turn My Camera On,” and the always poignant “I Summon You.”
Spoon’s set was a reminder that this band has truly never released a bad song and continues to crank out excellent albums. In this regard, there aren’t many better rock bands out there these days.
Opening with the brooding sprawl of “Untitled,” Interpol immediately pulled the crowd into their orbit with one of their oldest and best-known songs. Fans of the band have long argued that their first two albums – Turn On The Bright Lights and Antics – are their strongest, so it was no surprise that songs from these would factor heavily into the set. “Evil” and “C’Mere” would make early appearances and go over well as Paul Banks’ commanding vocals washed over the crowd and Daniel Kessler’s unmistakable sharp-toned guitar would take on its hypnotizing effect.
In the light show department, Interpol definitely won the night with their clever placement of three massive disco balls at the back of the stage. These would be used to enhance the moodiness and dark nightclub sound of songs like “Narc,” “Pioneer to the Falls,” and the slinky new song “Mr. Credit.” Perhaps not surprisingly, they would bring their set to a close with two of their most famous and beloved tunes, “Slow Hands” and “PDA,” leaning a bit more into nostalgia than Spoon had before them.
When Interpol wrapped their set, there was a sense of accomplishment that both bands had completed this tour during a time when one Covid case can derail the whole schedule. Though the fans likely wished for longer sets from their preferred band, it was hard to argue with this co-billing that brought together these two indie rock stalwarts who have each maintained a respectable musical pedigree throughout their long careers. While Spoon brought their masterful songcraft that didn’t include a single dud, Interpol brought a powerful stage presence. In the end, it was made reassuringly apparent that both bands are still a long way from moving into the realm of legacy acts.
