Spoon songwriter/singer Britt Daniel has confessed. He's a "music geek."
"If I'm not listening, I'm playing," Daniel said during a phone interview from a radio station in Minneapolis, Minn. "When it comes down to it, I'm a fan of music. And I'm pretty picky about the type of music I like. I believe my first fistfight ever was over Frankie Goes to Hollywood."Spoon - Daniel, drummer Jim Eno and bassist Joshua Zarbo - will play Liquid Joe's on June 24. Doors open at 7 p.m.
As for Eno, he too is interested in all types of music. "Let's see, there was the Beatles, Gang of 4 and Lou Reed, just to name a few," Eno said during the same interview. "I think liking certain musicians comes from where you were at the time of your life when you heard the songs."
Eno, Daniel and Zarbo formed Spoon in 1993 because they wanted to play the type of music they liked to hear. "Our goal was to do that, and make great records," Eno said.
"One issue was making sure we were committed to the band," said Daniel. "It's easy to like what we're doing when things go well, but we all had to make sure we were committed in the less glorious moments."
These days a wiser Daniel can say, "Playing music is much more than strapping on a guitar.
"It's all about taking all of our opinions and putting them together in a neat package."
Eno agreed but also said the live shows are just as important as anything else. "In the beginning, we did all we could to get a show. These days we have the shows. It's just making sure we make them the best we can."
Along with the hard work come the rewards. "In St. Louis, the other day, a fan came up to us and said we were his favorite band," Daniels said.
"When someone takes time out of their life to enjoy us, then it's a big deal."