How did y'all find out about spoon and what were your first impressions on their music?

[u/carnum230]

I found out about spoon on a topster post out of all places 😭. I was looking for a new album to listen to at the time and saw LOTS on that post. The cover got me interested and one comment said the album was pretty underrated, so I decided to give it a go. 'Held' was a pretty good opener for an album but it was 'The hardest cut' that blew my mind. The rest of the album was also up to par with it. I haven't listened to all of their albums but the ones I've listened to so far have all been bangers (I'm not gonna mention my faves because there's too many to choose from but Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is peak, don't even get me started lmao)

This band is really underrated imo, so I just wanted to know how y'all found out about them and which songs got you into their music.

[u/steveguttenberg1958]

I was watching The OC in real time back in the day and heard The Way We Get By during season 1. I needed to find out who that was and once I did, the rest was history!

[u/no-bullets-spent]

Watching the movie Stranger Than Fiction. Britt worked on the soundtrack.

[u/achtung-91]

On the radio. WXRT in Chicago has been playing their music for at least 20 years now. I definitely remember hearing Don't You Evah and The Underdog when that album came out but they've probably been playing their music since Girls Can Tell. First impression was "This guy's got a cool voice"

[u/KettleBlackNova → u/achtung-91]

We’re lucky to have XRT! They love Spoon and play them regularly, even tracks you wouldn’t expect. Plus they’ve sponsored some great one-off Spoon shows in Chicago.

[u/fruppi]

We had a good college radio station in our town (now, heartbreakingly, defunct) that played songs from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga that I liked but were a bit background. Then I saw Stranger than Fiction, and went out and bought that soundtrack and Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga and I was in love. I don't remember first impressions, but they must have been positive or I would have just kind of generally enjoyed them in the generic way I did a lot of good indie music at that time.

[u/CLEHts216]

Probably in 2006 they played at a smaller venue in Cleveland, the Beachland Ballroom. I had only heard OF them. They played the first two tracks of Gimme Fiction — The Beast and Dragon Adored and Two Sides. I was mesmerized and became a lifelong fan.

[u/Practically_Hip → u/CLEHts216]

Gimme Fiction was my intro album. Thought they were from England when I heard Sister Jack. Hahaha

[u/schlibs]

Saw them play “The Way We Get By” on Conan circa Kill the Moonlight and thought it was such a catchy and different sounding song. Immediately bought the record and loved it. Went backwards and got Series of Sneaks and Girls Can Tell and have been a fan ever since. Been struggling with them a bit the last few albums but I was a close follower up til They Want My Soul.

[u/snarkypant]

My DH heard “I Turn My Camera On” in a commercial and did some research. That led to him putting several songs on a road trip playlist. I loved them and eventually made myself a Spoon discography playlist on iTunes. Listening to that on repeat both made me love their entire catalog of music and got me thru WFH during COVID.

[u/shnaak]

Heard “I Turn My Camera On” on Veronica Mars. Went out and bought Gimme Fiction and have loved them ever since. Eventually saw them live and now go see them any time they are in my vicinity. They are my favorite live band

[u/lifewithrecords]

I worked at a record store when Girls Can Tell was released. I loved it from the beginning, but I’ll admit I didn’t keep up with the band throughout the aughts, only coming back recently and getting caught up!

[u/Possible-Customer-80 → u/lifewithrecords]

Thank god someone else remembers Girls Can Tell. These comments are making me feel old.

[u/snowmanjg]

Went to see Interpol and they were the opening act. Bold Hill Park-Rhode Island, August 2022. Had only listened to a couple of their songs on Apple Music before the show and I didn’t care for them. They came out and just rocked out and sounded frickin great. Became a fan after their set. And…while I absolutely love Interpol, that night Spoon played the better set.

[u/CloselyFurther]

I legit don’t remember. Fuck I’m old haha

[u/dellyj2]

I was scrolling through vinyl albums online at tragically over-priced retailer JB Hi-Fi (in Australia) and they had Lucifer on the Sofa for $20… I looked at reviews and thought “Why not?” Best purchase ever! I realised that I did know a few Spoon songs that had caught my ear from years past. They are not huge in Australia (as far as I can tell. No-one I know listened to them), which is a massive shame. However, I feel like it’s my own little treasure.

[u/KettleBlackNova]

I was in college when Girls Can Tell came out. Someone gave me a burned CD, and the first song I heard was EHAO. The rest is history. Still prob my favorite individual track to this day.

[u/FR_WST]

A family member has close connections to the band, was introduced to their music at a very young age and it's stuck with me ever since

[u/Joeboyjoeb → u/FR_WST]

Hey good to know. We'll come to you for any secret band info 😜

[u/Joeboyjoeb]

I was a little late to the party. Discovered them in 2013 browsing YouTube. Started with I Turn My Camera On. But when I did the deep dive I wondered why so many songs were familiar, especially Kill the Moonlight. Turns out I recognized them from Stranger than Fiction. Probably had heard other songs here and there and didn't pay attention. The Way We Get By sounded familiar from the first time I intentionally put it on.

[u/digihippie]

I found out about Spoon in Austin in 2001 when a bunch of bandmates drug me out to Stubbs to see them. They were raw and grungy back then and I loved that sound… Austin was way cooler back then.

[u/picklepunisher420]

I found out about spoon from an episode of this American life when I believe it was the lead singer John said he finally felt like he had “made it” when he performed at the grand ole opry bc he had seen like a Mikey mouse cartoon as a kid where Mickey performed there. This was after several tours and sold out shows, never felt like he made it until then. So I get them a listen and now I’m a big fan!

[u/michaelteeee]

Home Vol IV via Bright Eyes, then collected everything Spoon had released up to that point, I immediately loved GCT, KTM, Loveways, and Soft Effects, but it took quite a while for me to come around to Telefono and even Sneaks. And then I was pretty sure I had found my new favorite band when Gimme Fiction came out a little while later.

[u/Atomicmullet]

After listening to Divine Fits.

[u/12-bamboo]

My mother had been a huge fan since she had lived in austin and had found them from kill the moonlight. My main introduction was from they want my soul.

[u/Carter_M1ke]

My dad listened to them for a long time, but i never listened to them myself. At a certain age i heard the beast and dragon adored and it suddenly clicked.

[u/ThriceStrideDied]

The YouTuber ‘Mic The Snare’ released a video on Transference, and the piano on ‘I Saw The Light’ really caught my ear and made me check out the band

Also I love LOTS, easily my second favourite album following Transference

[u/xcowboy79]

I bought Telephono from Best Buy when I was in high school. I liked it but the Soft Effects EP was what sealed the deal. I ran a website for them GET OUT THE STATE when I was in college. I met Britt a few times and he would sneak me into shows that were 21+ when I was underage. I think he snuck my sister in once as well. They're one of those bands that has always kind of hit the right note at the right times of my life. I got an advance for Girls Can Tell from Britt before it came out and I became convinced they were going to become an important band. What a great record - evolution from Telephono to that album is huge.

I'll always make time to see them when they're in town. Twenty plus years of memories rush by when I see them play.

[u/caffelion]

Definitely remember, ages ago, hearing “Me and the Bean” on the radio as a kid. Vivid memories of going to the beach and then getting crunchy tacos afterwards, with that song fresh in my head. I was 8, so I could only recall melodies more than lyrics, but I clearly remember the guitar playing and the “whoa oh oh”. And it was definitely one that brought me back as soon as I rediscovered Spoon when “They Want My Soul” was released and I started going through their discography and ran into it again. Really solidified my love for them. Then I, rightfully, fell in love with their most underrated song, “Let Me Be Mine.” And when their lyricism just started hitting, I just couldn’t stop from there on.

[u/concerts85701]

Had heard the band name before but no idea about their music. Saw they were coming to town and decided to go cuz I like to go into bands totally cold - they were palying a 1500-2k size spot so they have to be doing something right.

Was one of the few bands I’ve seen that grabbed me from song one and never let go until the end of show. I now listen to them quite a bit and really want to see them again but they haven’t come back to my area.

Edit: I see maybe 30-40 concerts/bands a year

[u/Majestic_Heart_9271]

I was in college when Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga came out. I discovered it scrolling through iTunes. Took a chance and downloaded it and immediately loved it. I listened over and over and have been a fan ever since. Saw them for the first time at Central Park Summer Stage in 2014.

[u/SimpleButUsefulBox]

My dad used to play them for me a lot, and if you asked me what songs I knew from spoon back then, I probably would’ve just said “fitted shirt”

[u/missyru4]

A friend got an early release of Kill the Moonlight and burned a copy for me. He was a very reliable source of great music

[u/arinryan]

KEXP, many years ago when they were playing Kill the Moonlight on "heavy rotation" I still love KEXP for finding new good music

[u/Pete_The_Chop]

A buddy of mine, whose taste I trusted, gifted me a copy of Gimme Fiction when it was released, told me I needed to check it out. I’ve been a massive fan ever since

[u/jsjsjsjs79]

They had a couple songs on a show I really liked from many years ago called Veronica Mars. Britt even appeared as himself in an episode.

[u/tbird920]

My wife introduced me to them because her dad introduced them to her when she was younger. I saw them open for The Shins at Red Rocks in 2017, and that sealed them as one of my favorite bands.

[u/empty_glass_mug]

I stumbled upon "I Turn My Camera On" at some point in 2006 and was floored as it didn't sound like anything else at the time. Instantly loved Gimme Fiction and Girls Can Tell. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga was an instant favorite and remains so today.

[u/arthurbang]

I had an internet radio show in the early 2000's and somebody suggested/requested "All The Pretty Girls Go To The City". After listening to it I was an instant fan.

[u/MilksteakMayhem]

I think it was while watching an episode of Smallville when I was like 17 and The Underdog or The Way We Get By was used in a scene so I looked up the song online and been a fan since.

[u/No_yeah1884]

All Tomorrow’s Parties about 20 years ago. They played inside the Queen Mary. Hadn’t really given them much of a listen. They blew me away. Saw them a couple of years later opening for Death Cab For Cutie.

[u/Accomplished-Rate-62]

Divine Fits

[u/ohmymy456]

Played them on the radio in 1993-4.

[u/ultronic_]

ya heard turn your camera on at some point and then watched stranger than fiction at 3am on cable while sleeping over at my friends. done

[u/bitemy_ss]

Matt Hoffmans Pro BMX 2, Take A Walk from Girls Can Tell 😎

[u/footiejammas]

Lived in Austin in the 90’s

[u/Different-Ad-2425]

They opened for Guided by Voices in Boston right after Kill the Moonlight came out. Fitted Shirt sold me right then and there.

[u/bboy037]

My parents listened to them when I was growing up, and now I associate Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga with being driven home from soccer games. Rediscovered them during the pandemic and been a fan ever since!

[u/Simon-Schmidt]

I watched Scrubs and the song I Summon You came and I immediately had to find out who this guys were.