When it comes to Austin, Texas' SXSW, indie rockstars Spoon are not only honorary veterans, but basically the kings, seeing as the band themselves are ATX natives. Their first showcase dates back to 1997, but who knows how many times they've been, or performed, at the hot spot for emerging artists. With such a rich history embedded in the music festival, we're going to take a dive into some of their many showcases over the years, and ultimately celebrating the roots of SXSW and the important role it plays in a band's career.
In 1997, Spoon was a year into releasing their first LP ever, Telephono, on legendary major indie label Matador. They also had just released a follow-up EP Soft Effects. Still just a small band, this SXSW really put the then-trio in the forefront of their rock peers when they took stage at the SXSW Matador Party. According to a review of their set in the Austin Chronicle, they upstaged Ben Lee, a buzzy artist from that year, with an explosive 40 minute set.
You can listen their set from SXSW '97, and peep a setlist, over on this archives website I found in the deep web.
Spoon performed again at SXSW in 1999 on March 20th with a free show at Waterloo Park. They had released their second studio album A Series of Sneaks a year prior via Elektra.
Over the years, Spoon would always hit SXSW prior to releasing their record. Their next visit was in 2002 at La Zona Rosa after dropping Girls Can Tell and then in 2003 at Stubb's Bar-B-Q after Kill the Moonlight, which featured their hit song "The Way We Get By." By that year, they had Wilco's manager Tony Margherita by their side.
They made their way to the Parish for the Merge Showcase at the 2005 edition of SXSW ahead of their acclaimed fifth studio album, Gimme Fiction. The album carries their biggest hit to date, "I Turn My Camera On." During the set, they opened with the album's first track "The Beast and Dragon, Adored." They also performed "Sister Jack," "My Mathematical Mind," and "The Delicate Place," between songs from their four other albums. Check out the setlist below!
Spoon returned to SXSW for three years in a row after that. In 2006 they performed at Auditorium Shores, 2007 at Stubb's, and 2008 again at Auditorium Shores. In those three years they release their 6th studio album, 2007's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. It's considered a favorite among fans and critics alike and features staple Spoon tracks like "Don't You Evah" and "The Underdog."
The 2008 showcase featured plenty of cuts from the LP and then some. Peep that below.
Watch fan-caught videos from some of these showcases below:
In 2010 Spoon came back to SXSW on their "Transference" Tour to support their 7th studio album of the same name. They performed on March 17th at Stubb's and gave fans a long, storied 19-song set that included a 3-song encore. During the set they covered The Damned's "Love Song."
In 2015, Spoon turned 20 as a band and had eight albums under their belts. Even after 20 years Spoon was still in their prime with their 2014 return of They Want My Soul. At this point they had brought on new band member Alex Fischel to take on the keys and guitar.
That year at SXSW they performed three showcases. Being at indie-rock hero status at this point, these showcases were obviously sought after. Check out their Auditorium Shores setlist and a video from Cedar Street Courtyard from SXSW 2015 below!
Their last visit to SXSW was in 2017 in support of their last LP release, Hot Thoughts. During that year, the band held a three-night residency at The Main, March 14-16, and featured a curated line-up by Spoon each night. In addition to those shows, they also performed at Waterloo Records and the Austin Convention Center.
Check out their setlist from The Main below:
While Spoon will not be performing at SXSW this year (no new album), they WILL be supporting Beck and Cage the Elephant on tour this summer! Find out about dates and ticket info over on their website.
