Concert Review: Spoon And Ratboys (The Orange Peel)

BY JILL POOLE

As the line outside The Orange Peel wound down the street and around the corner, waiting for the doors to open, many fans were talking about when and where they had seen Spoon before. I’d guess the majority of the crowd had seen Spoon at least once (I tried to see them in Charlotte in 2017 but a huge thunderstorm cancelled that show). Sunday night’s Orange Peel crowd ranged in age from 15 to 75 and the venue was absolutely packed with Spoon (and Ratboys) fans.

As the night’s opener, Ratboys delivered a great set. Formed in 2010 in South Bend, Indiana by partners Julia Steiner and Dave Sagan; Ratboys had the audience guessing at their influences. The Breeders and Dinosaur, Jr. were two that I heard mentioned in the crowd around me. Britt Daniel even came out to watch the last song or two of the set.

Daniel returned with the rest of Spoon to the sold out Orange Peel crowd. Spoon is one of those bands where you always know more of their songs than you think you do. Spoon songs seem to turn up everywhere - tv shows, movies. It was a high energy set that scattered some of the more well known songs like “I Turn My Camera On” and “The Underdog” among some of the less well known titles.

The band had traveled to Asheville from Milwaukee by bus and had some time to kill in Asheville. As Britt Daniel was roaming around town he met a woman who asked him to play anything from Girls Can Tell which they did with an acoustic version of “Me and the Bean.” “I Summon You” was instantly and enthusiastically recognized by the crowd. There’s something about standing in a packed house - listening to music you all love - that can leave you with such a feeling of hope and goodwill. Even if you’re not a crowd person. This was one of those nights.

SPOON SET LIST
Held
The Hardest Cut
I Turn My Camera On
My Mathematical Mind
Who Makes Your Money
The Underdog
Me and the Bean (acoustic)
The Mystery Zone (acoustic)
I Summon You (acoustic)
Out Go The Lights
Inside Out
I Wanna Lose Control
You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb
Rent I Pay
Trouble Comes Running

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JILL POOLE

It’s Christmas. I think I was 7. And there’s an album with my presents. The Everly Brothers Greatest Hits. I was hooked - I still have that record and a few more. On my 16th birthday, I got a job just to buy a real stereo, and more records. I still have all that “vinyl” as we call it today, and my 1977 Advent speakers connect to a Sonos system now.

When I was younger I had a love-hate relationship with live shows but it’s all love now. And I always watched the photographers in the pit. (And tried to take the perfect shot myself on an increasingly capable iphone) But for the last few years I’ve had an actual camera again and it’s so much better.

I want people who couldn’t BE there, who couldn’t get up to the stage - I want them to see what I saw - to feel what I felt.

You can’t hear a photograph, but sometimes... if it’s a good shot - it’s almost as if you could.

Read Jill's posts here.