Spoon and Tennis at House of Blues Credit: Jim Leatherman
Spoon are one of those acts that have proven a model of success in management of both art and career, no small feat for a lifer indie band. In evolution, they’ve come an extraordinarily long way from a playfully weird and spiky ‘90s guitar band to a contemporary, arena-sized alternative-pop sensation. The massive synth rig of their current setup is proof of that mileage. Somehow, they’ve managed to not just last but also navigate an incredibly dramatic metamorphosis with quality and soul intact.
Spoon at House of Blues Credit: Jim Leatherman
It’s been 10 years since the last time they were here to perform at the Anti-Pop Music Festival. They were already indie-big then, enough to be one of the festival headliners. Well, look at them now.
Spoon at House of Blues Credit: Jim Leatherman
Spoon at House of Blues Credit: Jim Leatherman
Spoon at House of Blues Credit: Jim Leatherman
They’ve returned to the spotlight of a prime venue with swank, primetime stage production before a big, buzzing crowd – all earned on sheer merit.
Spoon at House of Blues Credit: Jim Leatherman
Back in my 2007 interview with band co-founder Jim Eno, we talked about the upending tectonic shifts happening in the music industry and how Spoon were maneuvering the uncertain ground on the cusp of a new paradigm. At that time, they were making it work pretty well. Still, they probably thought the stratosphere of their brief but ill-fated dalliance with the major labels back in the indie-rock sweepstakes of the ‘90s was a dream aborted.
Spoon at House of Blues Credit: Jim Leatherman
Little did anyone know that – through good, hard work – they’d ultimately chug their way back and ascend to the heights they’re now enjoying via the indie circuit. But Cinderella stories do happen. And if anyone deserves this royal treatment, it’s these guys.
Spoon at House of Blues Credit: Jim Leatherman
Spoon at House of Blues Credit: Jim Leatherman
Spoon at House of Blues Credit: Jim Leatherman
As if Spoon’s first Orlando show in a decade wasn’t enough, the bill was even more exceptional with the inclusion of opener Tennis, who are one of those acts that are as much a state of mind as they are a band.
Tennis at House of Blues Credit: Jim Leatherman
Tennis at House of Blues Credit: Jim Leatherman
Their music – or more precisely, the microcosm that it conjures – is its own beautiful world of tuneful nostalgia. It’s a blend of indie and oldies forever adrift in an insulated and idealized womb perpetuated by the frequent and well-documented sailing junkets at sea of married collaborators Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley. Between their perfect pop facility and the golden rays they invoke, it’s all air and ease.
Tennis at House of Blues Credit: Jim Leatherman
Still, Tennis’ records are a meticulous affair of vibes, precision and specificity. So it’s to their considerable credit that their live performance glowed with such fidelity, stroking their intimate but rich lover’s songs with vivid exactitude.
Tennis at House of Blues Credit: Jim Leatherman
It was a showing worthy of the particularly good reception they received from this crowd. Seriously, people actually threw flowers onstage.
