Spoon returns to Spokane with 'Lucifer' squared, and White Reaper

If You Go

Spoon

White Reaper opens

When: 8 p.m. Monday

Where: The Knitting Factory, 919 W. Sprague Ave.

Cost: $35 in advance, $40 day of show

Info: (509) 244-3279, www.sp.knittingfactory.com

It’s almost six years to the day since Spoon last performed at the Knitting Factory.

“The last time we played in Spokane was Aug. 28, 2017 and how weird is it that we had White Reaper with us and they’re out with us this time,” drummer Jim Eno said while calling from Providence. “It’s been too long since we played Spokane.”

Much has changed in the world of Spoon but the band, which will return Monday at the Knitting Factory, is always evolving. The indie-rock darlings released a pair of albums, “Lucifer on the Sofa” and “Lucifer on the Moon,” in 2022.

The tracks from “Sofa” are guitar-driven with some unexpected anthems, like the infectious “Wild,” co-written by hitmaker Jack Antonoff, who works with Taylor Swift and Lorde when not fronting Bleachers.

Spoon singer-songwriter Britt Daniel collaborated with Antonoff and the result was a couple of different versions of “Wild.” “I wasn’t part of that session but it worked out well,” Eno said. “It’s so good to open up and work with people like Jack to see what someone like that can bring to our music.”

The bluesy and rocking “Lucifer on the Sofa’” is complemented by “Lucifer on the Moon,” which is an adventurous, dub-influenced project. “We’re always open to new ideas,” Eno said. “We want to keep it interesting for us.”

It’s been 30 years since Daniel and Eno formed Spoon in Austin . The band has been consistently inventive and unpredictable starting with its terrific 1996 debut “Telephono.”

It was evident early on that Spoon is a special band. Spoon stood out during a South By Southwest Matador Records showcase, which featured then labelmates, Silkworm, Chavez, Liz Phair and Guided By Voices.

“I still remember that show,” drummer Jim Eno said. “We were just getting started as a band. It was such a great lineup.”

Guided By Voices, with its terse but endlessly catchy tunes and infectious energy, had a huge impact on Spoon. “We did a lot of touring with GBV during the mid-90s and they were such a great band,” Eno said. “I remember being exhausted during a European tour with them and I said, ‘I’ll just watch two of their songs from the side of the stage but I would stay for the whole set and hang out with them after the show since they were such cool guys. We learned a lot from GBV about performance. There was no band like them but it figures they were part of Matador.”

Spoon left Matador after the “Telephono” tour but returned for 2017’s “Hot Thoughts.”

“It really matters what label you’re on and we’re happiest with Matador,” Eno said. “Many of the same people that were part of Matador in 1996 are still there. They’re music lovers and they give us the freedom to do what we want to do.”

Three decades and 11 albums later, the band remains as vital as it was during its salad days.

“Britt still has so much to say and he’s just a tremendous writer,” Eno said. “When I hear him play new songs he still blows me away. He’s always finding inspiration.”

Even though Daniel has been crafting quirky psychedelic rock for most of Spoon’s career, his creativity is often from classic rock. Daniel and Eno immersed themselves in early ZZ Top and Creedence Clearwater Revival while preparing for “Lucifer on the Sofa.”

“We’re just fans of those types of records,” Eno said. “Some people are surprised, but they shouldn’t be taken aback by that.”

Spoon has slipped in Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ “Breakdown” and “A Face in the Crowd” during some of its shows. “We’re fans of music first,” Eno said. “You never know what will be played during a Spoon show.”

After its tour ends, Spoon will return to Eno’s home studio, Public Hi-Fi. The state-of-the-art facility has been used by such artists as Arcade Fire, the Shins and Lady Gaga.

“It’s a great place to make a record,” Eno said. “It really worked out, since Britt came back to Austin (in 2019) It was a very comfortable situation since we’ve had the studio for years (since 2005).”

Eno is pleased with the band’s latest addition, bassist Ben Trokan. “It’s great with Ben who joined us not long ago (2021),” Eno said. “Benny is more of a soul guy, so he adds a lot. (Keyboardist-guitarist) Alex (Fischel) has elevated our live shows and (keyboardist-guitarist) Gerardo (Larios) is rock-solid. We’re in a good place right now.”

According to Eno, that’s because he and Daniel are friends above anything else.

“We get along,” Eno said. “The whole recording process (of the ‘Lucifer’ albums) was like going back to summer camp with your pal. That’s why it works and it’s still such a great time when we’re on the road.”

Hopefully it won’t be six years before the next Spoon show in Spokane.

“I’m pretty confident we’ll be back before then,” Eno said. “We love going up there. The crowds are always great.”

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are not tax deductible, but are predominately used to help meet the local financial requirements needed to receive national matching-grant funds.

Get the day’s top entertainment headlines delivered to your inbox every morning.