Three concert experiences I recommend: (1) attending a gig at Central Park SummerStage and going to see (2) Spoon or (3) Ratboys any chance you get. In June, I enjoyed all of the above. First, Ratboys kicked off their latest tour in my hometown of Columbus, showing off one of the most impressive indie rock catalogs in recent memory. Then I traveled to NYC for a panel attached to Sharp Pins, Horsegirl, and Black Country, New Road's show on an immensely pleasant evening in Central Park. Then I returned home to Ohio and watched Spoon wreck shop with the Beths. Friends, it's indie rock summer! (If you're me, every summer is indie rock summer.)
All of those experiences converged Wednesday night when Spoon, Ratboys, and Bodega played the SummerStage. It would have been a lovely night even without special guest appearances, but this show had those. First, Britt Daniel emerged during Bodega's opening set to perform "Fitted Shirt" from Girls Can Tell, the suave and gritty 2001 Spoon album that isn't sufficiently represented in their setlists these days. Then, while Spoon were onstage, the Walkmen's Hamilton Leithauser showed up to sing Spoon's They Want My Soul highlight "Do You." Leithauser, who also guested with the Strokes recently, stuck around to reprise the cover of Larry Williams' "Bony Moronie" that they first did together back in 2014.
Ratboys unfortunately did not participate in the collaboration spree, but I bet they were amazing. Watch footage of the night's various guest appearances below.
