i've never sweated so much in my life

Last night I went to the not-so-secret and probably not just invite-only Spoon show at Little Radio (remember, I got the ticket for being an early bird at Amoeba).

First, some words to the people who run Little Radio's warehouse thing: get some fucking fans! In this day and age, I can't actually understand why I was sweating buckets. Buckets, really.

Having arrived at 9:30 I was able to snag a really good spot in the crowd, where I had a pretty good view of the stage (no small feat considering my height relative to most people) and amazing sound (in front of the sound board). I suffered through John "Boring" Vanderslice. Just a man and his acoustic guitar. It all sounded the same. His record probably isn't quite as boring, but really, who wants to stand there and watch some guy play by himself and make stupid comments. I'll give him credit for having a lot of personality and talking a lot, but it just didn't appeal to me.

Then after some more waiting and compacting (you know how that happens at shows when you're in the best place), Spoon hit the stage at 11. The temperature probably went up another five degrees. But they sounded amazing! They are one of the few bands that actually retains the distinct sound of their recordings when playing live. I don't know if that makes sense, but I was really impressed with the sound quality of the performance.

I stayed in my spot for about 40 minutes until I just couldn't take the heat. With every note they played, a massive sweat drop would descend from my hair down my body. I just couldn't take it. I made my way to the bar to try and get some water ("uh, we don't have tap water."), and found, as I suspected, it was A LOT cooler back there toward the wide open door. People also weren't packed in so much. Unfortunately, the sound quality was pretty bad, both because of the sound system and because of all the idiots talking and making noise (which wasn't happening much closer in). I managed to move closer to get a somewhat better view and improved sound so I could enjoy the rest of the show.

Final Assessment: I'm really glad I went. I'm also really glad it was free (who would pay to be so uncomfortable?)! I don't think I need to go see them in September. The rigmarole just isn't worth it. It was 1.5 hour set so it was a full show. They didn't play "Sister Jack," but the set was heavily drawn from their latest two albums with a couple of older tunes thrown in for good measure. And as amazing as they sound live, they really aren't much to look at. Don't get me wrong, they are all very attractive men, but Britt Daniel spent half of the set with his back to the audience. They just didn't move enough to make it worth watching.

The whole experience also made me re-evaluate my efforts to convince Allie and Dad to meet me somewhere else in the country to go see Superdrag. Did I love seeing them live? Hell yeah, but is the pain and suffering really worth it? Probably not. Though I'm still contemplating the D.C. show. There are other reasons to go to D.C. It's just missing a couple of school things that are holding me back.

By the way, on my way home I had to get a Slurpee. I needed the freezing cold beverage, but it also reminds me of so many trips home from the 9:30 Club or Black Cat. I'm sure we did it a time or two after Superdrag.