And hometown champions Spoon wrapped up the night at Stubb’s Barbecue with a headlining spot in the same NPR showcase that The Decemberists had last year when they debuted The Hazards of Love. Did Spoon live up to the expansive range and effortless stage presence the extended Decemberists’ lineup did last year? Not quite…

Britt Daniel and company were far from bad, but their set was lacking a certain kick. Daniel seemed poised and thrilled at the leading spot at Austin’s premier music venue and he led his band competently through their set list. “Don’t Make Me a Target” was lively fun, however, beyond that, nothing really stuck. The group even included a decent cover of The Damned’s “Love Song.” No offense to Spoon, because there’s first-class musicians, but at SXSW, and in contest with all the other talent at the festival, this just wasn’t good enough. They needed to blow the lid off the place.