Rain no match for Spoon

A few months back (two to be exact) I wrote about my fellow New York friends warning about the "alleged heat of New York summers." I'm here to attest that the 22 years I spent in Florida CAN NEVER prepare one for the intense heat waves that New York experiences. The past week was struck by one of those unbearable-ly hot heat waves that feel as though you are just sitting in a vampant sauna that radiates on-going heat, suffocating your lungs and causing parts of your body to sweat-- as you uncomfortably attempt to uncling your sweat-drenched clothes from your body only to find yourself navigating from one intensely hot area to the next in hopes of a gust of wind to perhaps provide a milli-second of cool and remind you that life will be OK even if it feels like you're going to pass out from heat exhaustian. Add to that the fact that you are dressed in work clothes and you got yourself a beautiful summer day in New York. I am just glad that I do not work in one of those places that requires me to wear a suit every day because that would just make it that much worse.


Yesterday, however, was a pleasant (maybe?) break from the heat, but the humidity still did not spare us. The thing about the heat in the city is that it permeates within the heart of New York trapped between the buildings with absolutely no room for a gust of oceanic breeze-- like down in Florida. I also feel as though the congestion and walking everywhere doesn't help the situation-- factor in that my apartment lacks central air and I rely on a fan for cooling. How's that for a change of lifestyle? This city takes sacrifice-- even if it means having to sleep naked with the fan on full blast to get some comfort.

So...it rained yesterday. I mean actually rained. Not this whimpy New York rain people here run frightened from every once in a while (in which case I laugh because it's merely drizzling). Not yesterday though...it was a down pour. It rained and didn't stop raining leaving a few looking like they had jumped into a pool with their button down shirts and pin striped pants. Florida rain. But...there was no stopping me from getting a chance to catch one of my favorite bands SPOON play live and for free. I took the "R" train down with Maddern to catch the show in Battery Park City put on by the River to River summer concert series. The rain was still going strong, so the concert was being postponed in hopes that it would lighten up. This caused many to bail on the show, but allowed me to a chance to get a good spot to catch them rock out in case they decided to perform. Just as it appeared as though it would never stop-- as if Mother Nature herself were a fan -- the sky cleared just long enough for Spoon to perform their entire set minus an encore. I stood just behind the front barricade close enough to the speakers blasting that I felt my entire rib cage vibrate with the bass. It was awesome. I snapped the picture below with my phone and caught some video of them playing two of my favorite songs of their last album.





Fresh off their recent release "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" which debuted Tuesday, the band had just finished performing live for The David Letterman show. They jammed out a nice mix of old and new songs capturing the rhythm and beat that makes these guys so damn good. Without missing a beat (or stroke) the enthusiasm and fierce guitar playing performed by lead singer Britt Daniel was both impressive and down right inspiring. It was hard not to bob your head to the addictive and hypnotic beats. Amazingly, these guys have been around for 5 albums (now 6) and they still have the formula for killer hooks and catchy tunes down to a science. Perhaps the best part of it all was that while there were some youngin's there... I did not feel like a 13-year-old middle schooler watching these guys play.

Download: "Stay Don't Go" and "Back to the Life" from Kill the Moonlight