Interpol, Spoon Co-Headline for "Lights, Camera, Fractions" Tour

Interpol at Vina Robles Ampitheater — Interpol at Vina Robles Amphitheater on September 14, 2022 (Photo: Sydney Ellis)

After a week of scorching temperatures in the quaint winery town of Paso Robles, CA, the co-headlining bill of Interpol and Spoon brought in the cooler temperatures with their crisp toned guitars and refreshing performances at the Vina Robles Amphitheater during their Lights, Camera, Fractions Tour.

Fist up was Spoon, where lead singer Britt Daniels and band mates ushered in the crowd, swiftly transporting them back to the mid 2000s Indie Rock scene with their iconic sound. They started off their set with covers of “Held” by Smog and led by the ever popular “Don’t You Evah,” originally by The Natural History. Guitarist Alex Fischel was sure to feed the crowd spoonfuls of his infectious energy as well as fairy dusting his band mates with it as the groovy and body swaying hit “Do You” warmed up the crowd. With Jim Eno keeping the beat on drums and Daniel Kessler harmonizing with the crowd, the spoon mates switched to acoustic tones for “I Summon You” and the popular “The Underdog.”

Stage lights bounced and switched from pink to purple and Fischel was sure to skip along, greeting the crowd with his swaying long hair and smile along the rim of the stage. With new bass-men Ben Trokan keeping it moody and groovy, “I Turn My Camera On” kept the wave of fans swaying and singing along. Their 10th and latest album is heavy and loud and “The Hardest Cut” added some sexy flare to the setlist and already set-on fire orange toned stage, matching the colors of their latest release Lucifer on the Sofa.

The stage fell dark as the wavy crowd became covered in dreamy blues and purples, “Inside Out” met an already nostalgic audience and continued to set the mood but with a little less tame and a little more energy with “Wild.” Spoon ended the night with the catchy tunes “The Way We Get By” and “Rent I Pay,” with the entire band graciously and warmly extending their hands as they waved goodbye and walked off stage.

Out from the misty dark lurked the NYC based post-punk group, Interpol. The 5-piece band uniformly walked onto the stage from behind the shadows and slowly appeared onto the foggy platform. With members now backlit, they opened with “Toni,” their newest track off their 2022 album, The Other Side of Make-Believe followed by a 2004 release and fan favorite, “Evil.” Brad Truax hypnotized the crowd with infamous bass lines, Sam Fogarino held it all together on drums as Paul Banks kept rhythm on guitar.

The crowd’s blood was now flowing after a 30-minute intermission and the band kept the sea of energy moving with “Narc” and “Obstacle 1.” With their set balancing between old and new releases, “Rest My Chemistry” was a nice sprinkle of sentiment. Singer Paul Banks, dressed in a black suit and Ray-Bans, allowed strobe lights and fog to uncover glimpses of him as Daniel Kessler began the intro to “The Rover.” Brandon Curtis breathed life into the keyboard as audience members continued to sip on wine and sing along as the night slowly got chillier.

The band never strayed from their elusive and protective shadows, only allowing the strobe lights to catch glimpses of their full suited forms as to keep with the band’s aesthetic. Interpol ended their set with the crowd pleasing “Slow Hands” and ultimately “PDA,” finishing out the night bold leaving the audience members drunk on nostalgia and Paso’s finest wines.