As the sun dips below the horizon, welcoming a cool breeze that lowers the temperature to 'just bearable', Brisbane has put on a weather-charm offensive for Americans The War On Drugs and Spoon's concert at The Riverstage (9 December).
It's a delectable one-two punch of heartland folk-rock, revivalist post-punk and experimental art-rock from two groups who have been producing the goods for almost 50 years (collectively).Spoon open proceedings with their 2005 cut 'The Beast And Dragon, Adored' (from the 'Gimme Fiction' album), the group's crunchy, lo-fi, indie noise, fuzz rock morphing into the reverb-heavy acid art-rock, slinky surf-rock of 'Don't You Evah' – their cover of The Natural History's 'Don't You Ever' giving off Dope Lemon vibes (or more likely highlighting Angus Stone as a fan of the original).
'They Want My Soul' banger 'Do You' followed, the building crowd making themselves at home on the grassy expanse of The Riverstage, while more fervent fans made the growing moshpit area the place to be to fully immerse yourself in the live action.
Spoon - image © Dylan Hewitson-Bevis
The group then peddled their newest album, 2022's 'Lucifer On The Sofa', performing 'The Hardest Cut', a rollicking sing-along brimming with rockabilly rock & roll that would be right at home on a Pulp Fiction-True Blood soundtrack.
This led to perhaps the group's biggest hit, 'The Underdog', that saw tech gremlins strike the set, with Alex Fischel's (or was it Gerado Larious?) guitar pedal board on the fritz (an issue that would remain for the remainder of the set).
This created an acoustic guitar-led rendition of 'The Underdog' from frontman Britt Daniel; the song still sizzled with its infectious groove leading to the first mass crowd dance. . . desert blues, garage folk, rock & roll at its finest.
Another newbie arrived with 'My Babe' before Jim Eno's drumming on 'Got Nuffin' was a hypnotic head-nodding experience. Spoon showcased their own influences with a gorgeous rendition of John Lennon's 'Isolation' that witnessed an impassioned performance from Fischel who attacked his keyboard with an intensity borne from the ongoing tech issues.
'My Mathematical Mind' was another reminder of Spoon's talent, the band harnessing all their different parts, slowly building a wall of noise that took over the senses in a reverb skank.
Spoon - image © Dylan Hewitson-Bevis
Spoon hits 'Wild' and 'I Turn My Camera On' again highlighted a band who could easily headline their own national tour, before closing the set with a couple of 'They Want My Soul' cuts: 'Inside Out' (another epic extended jam) and 'Rent I Pay'.
A Spoon fan from the early 2000s, their performance met all my expectations... but I'll readily admit it did feel weird that they were the support band having been a massive reason why I was at The Riverstage.
However, when you have The War On Drugs as headliners there are zero complaints to be mustered and while my knowledge of their discography isn't as complete as my passion for Spoon, I knew I was in for an unforgettable performance.
Landing onstage just after the advertised 8pm set commencement, frontman Adam Granduciel was first to grace the stage, ambling to the front-centre and sharing he was a little under the weather, but the show would proceed.
"Thanks for sticking with us tonight, I got a crazy virus running through my body. I'm on 'roids, I'm juicing backstage. . . It's what we do to put this show on for everyone here."
The War On Drugs - image © Dylan Hewitson-Bevis
With a stage set up that dwarfed Spoon's (I counted at least three keyboard-organ risers/ stations), the rest of the band quickly joined Granduciel launching into 'Old Skin' from their most recent longplayer – 2021's 'I Don't Live Here Anymore' – the band's famed heartland rock feels igniting the crowd in a swaying unison of giddy excitement.
It's that heartland essence that The War On Drugs mine so incredibly well, allowing their influences (from Billy Joel, Van Halen and Springsteen to The Who, Dylan and Wilco) to shine vividly while the songwriting-lyrical talents of Granduciel elevate the music to top-shelf quality.
This was clearly evident from the crafted set list that equally drew from the group's last three studio albums: 'I Don't Live Here Anymore', 'A Deeper Understanding' and 'Lost In The Dream'. Set highlights included 'Red Eyes', 'Living Proof', 'Eyes To The Wind' and 'Under The Pressure', which were packaged closely together in the set list, interspersed by a Warren Zevon cover, 'Play It All Night Long'.
The War On Drugs - image © Dylan Hewitson-Bevis
'Under The Pressure' was personally a poignant moment, being the first track that introduced me to the sonic marvels of The War On Drugs and their innate ability to craft mega-long songs (that hark back to the glorious sounds of the '70s), building tempo, before elegantly reigning in the melody, offering two versions of the same song.
It was the perfect segue to 'I Don't Live Here Anymore', the group's 2021 title track (the original featuring Lucius), again lifting the energy with the electronic flourishes, the crowd (and myself) fully engaged in head-bopping moves and pumping raised-arms.
The sublime Americana, indietronica vibes of 'Occasional Rain' was the group's penultimate track before Granduciel informed us "they were up against it" to fit in 'Lost In The Dream', referencing The Riverstage's famed financial penalties for breaking the venue's 10pm curfew.
The War On Drugs - image © Dylan Hewitson-Bevis
As the near-capacity crowd filed out of The Riverstage, scattering into the surrounding QUT campus or walking across the Goodwill Bridge, it was a hum of ecstatic, joyful voices regaling moments from the near two-hour performance that solidified that The War On Drugs had completed yet another successful live mission.
More photos from the show.
