Words By: Jon Chattman Photos By: Andrew Scott Blackstein

Movie theaters used to do double features all the time - not so much anymore. In the music world, however, you can often find a solid one-two punch and you’d be hard pressed to find a better tandem then the one The Cap brought on Tuesday, June 19. Indie rock forces Spoon and Grizzly Bear brought their co-headling tour to Port Chester, and as expected, the show was a winner from start to finish with the latter playing their folk-rock-psych signature sound before giving way to the indie pioneers and their Austin-bred rock.

It makes sense for Spoon and Grizzly Bear to tour together. Their careers mirror each others despite their sounds being polar opposites. Both bands stay true to themselves, playing the music they want to play versus going commercial and selling out (listen closely to Spoon’s “Underdog” and you’ll get what I’m saying), and they’re bother revered in the industry for it. Grizzly Bear, who broke out of the Brooklyn scene in the early 2000s, are touring in support of last year’s Painted Ruin, and obviously played many cuts off that, their fifth album. The highlight, however, was their standout hit “Two Weeks” off Veckatimest. Whereas Grizzly Bear made for a much mellower reaction from the crowd, once Spoon took to the stage the crowd really came alive, opening with the lively “Knock Knock Knock” off 2014’s They Want My Soul. “Inside Out” off the same album followed before they went old school with “I Turn My Camera On” off their 2004 classic Gimme Fiction.

Altogether, Britt Daniels entertained the crowd with his almost Ric Ocasek quirks and showmanship and the band was as tight as those shorts you’re currently trying to squeeze into for summer. The band also made sure to represent as many of their nine albums as possible including their recent release, last year’s Hot Thoughts. There were many standout tracks on the night, but for this Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga fan, I was so pleased they found time to play “Black Like Me,” “Don’t Make Me a Target,” and “The Underdog.” Speaking of the latter, Daniels and the band played it at its most minimalist with the vocals and lyrics taking central stage and the rawness and resonance was so palpable. The entire night was memorable from the silent growl of the Bear to the fine serving Spoon.

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